The Lingle administration will meet this afternoon with the state Board of Education and Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto for the first official talks between the parties on a proposal to restore 27 classroom days to the public school calendar, beginning in January.

The plan would restore most of the 34 "furlough Fridays," prompted by budget cuts, in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years. Tomorrow is the fourth "furlough Friday" since the school closures began Oct. 23.

Education officials have delayed scheduling talks with the Hawaii State Teachers Association and other unions until more details were provided by the governor's office. The meeting will be this afternoon, before the 3 p.m. meeting of the state Board of Education, said Garrett Toguchi, BOE chairman.

"We need to know what the details are so that when we go in and meet with the HSTA, we're speaking from fact and not theory," Toguchi said.

Lingle's plan, which she announced at a news conference Sunday, would require the state and the HSTA to reopen the teachers contract and negotiate converting 15 teacher training days to classroom days. In addition, some $50 million from the state's "rainy day" fund would be used to pay teachers and eliminate 12 furlough days, restoring 27 classroom days in all.

The plan would require the state Legislature to authorize using the rainy day fund to cover teacher pay.

Meanwhile, state Senate Democrats plan to discuss alternatives to teacher furloughs today in private caucus. State House Democrats have planned a private caucus for tomorrow.

State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Nänäkuli, Mäkaha), and state House Speaker Calvin Say, D-20th (St. Louis Heights, Pälolo Valley, Wilhelmina Rise), are expected to brief Gov. Linda Lingle tomorrow to update her on lawmakers' reaction to her proposal.

Hamamoto said earlier this week that she was unclear on the details of the plan and on how the redistribution of noninstructional days would work. Toguchi said neither he nor the superintendent have been in contact with the governor's office since her announcement.

"Aside from the governor's public statements, we've had no other communications since then," Toguchi said.

It remains unclear how school administrators and other support staff represented by the Hawaii Government Employees Association and the United Public Workers would be affected by plans to restore classroom days. The HGEA represents school principals, educational assistants, school health aides and other office personnel, while the UPW represents school custodians and cafeteria workers.

HGEA spokeswoman Jodi Endo Chai said the Lingle administration has not offered any official proposal.

"The only information we have about the governor's plan is what she publicly said during her press conference," Chai said in an e-mail.