The Department of Education is facing a series of tough budget decisions in the coming school year that — in worst-case scenarios — could result in the elimination of school bus service on Oahu and an 85-cent increase to school lunch prices, officials warned Tuesday.
The worry stems from the governor’s supplemental budget request, which will be forwarded to the Legislature this month. It zeroes out or reduces funding requests for a handful of DOE programs. It also reduces the department’s request for $130 million in supplemental capital improvement funds to $50 million.
Officials stressed that it was still early in the process and that the Legislature could opt to restore the department’s requests, especially if the state’s fiscal picture improves. But the department said the changes are concerning because there is little cushion left to cover reductions.
After the department briefed the Board of Education’s Finance and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday, Chairman Wesley Lo said "we’re facing struggles," especially since the DOE is "already in the hole." Lo added, "If nothing else changes (in the budget request), we are now going to have to look at cutting bus services or other services."
Board member Jim Williams, meanwhile, took issue with the reductions to the capital improvements request, which will go to repairs and new construction, suggesting that board members should try to advocate at the Legislature for the funds to be restored.
"It’s our job to say that the education system needs this money," Williams said at Tuesday’s board meeting. "If we didn’t think we needed $130 million, why did we submit it in the first place?"
BUDGET REQUEST
Here’s a look at the current version of the governor’s Department of Education supplemental budget request for the coming fiscal year:
» $25 million in additional funds for student transportation, $17 million less than the Department of Education’s request
» No additional money for school food services, down from the $3 million requested to stave off student meal price increases
» No funds to help offset the purchase of supplies that special-education teachers make. If approved, it will be the second year that special-education teachers have not received the funding, which amounts to $1,690 for each teacher or about $3 million in all.
» $13.5 million in additional funds for the weighted student formula — the per-pupil funding pot that is distributed among all schools — which the department asked for to help offset projected increases in enrollment
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When asked by board members whether the supplemental budget request will allow the department to meet its ambitious objectives for boosting student achievement, schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said "you can go faster with more" funding.
The governor’s executive budget for the DOE includes:
» $25 million for student transportation, a sharp cut from the $42 million requested by the Department of Education. Randy Moore, DOE assistant superintendent for facilities and support services, said a reduction of that size could have big effects on bus service.
In a presentation to the board, Moore said a funding reduction that large could "result in the elimination of school bus service on Oahu, at the least," but added he is still working to look for possible cost savings.
Board of Education Chairman Don Horner took issue with Moore’s remarks about the possibility of service cuts, saying there are options for making relatively speedy reductions in costs.
"I challenge why we keep putting this out there," Horner told Moore.
The discussion comes as the department is seeking options for cutting the cost of student transportation — which hit $74 million this school year, nearly three times the cost in 2003.
Some 39,000 general-education students in the islands ride school buses, and about half ride free. Some 4,000 special-education students get free, federally mandated curb-to-curb bus service.
» No additional money to stave off proposed student meal price increases, necessitated by a legislative cut in funding to school food services for next school year. The board wanted to cut the size of the increase, so it requested $3 million for food services — half of the legislative cut.
Barring funding from someplace else, the department has said it will have to increase the price of a school lunch by 85 cents — bringing the cost for a high school student to $3.35, more than double what students paid in 2006. An elementary school meal will go to $3.10.
» No special funding to help offset the purchase of supplies that special-education teachers make. If approved, it will be the second year that special-education teachers have not received the funding, which amounts to $1,690 for each teacher or about $3 million in all.
In good news for the DOE, meanwhile, the governor’s request does include an additional $13.5 million for the weighted student formula — the per-pupil funding pot distributed among all schools. The department had asked for the money to offset projected enrollment growth.
About $730 million currently goes into the weighted student formula.
The request also includes $2.5 million for adult community schools, which are facing closure without the funding. The request is about half what the schools currently receive, but will couple with federal funding to keep the schools alive in the short run at least.
In the department’s capital improvements budget, the governor’s supplemental budget request includes $13.6 million for school building improvements, down from the $38.5 million requested by the DOE, and $1 million for electrical and infrastructure upgrades, down from $8 million.
Several projects the department had hoped to fund are not included in the governor’s request, including $10.8 million for a new locker/shower building at Konawaena Middle School and $10.5 million for a classroom building at Waimea Middle School.
Moore pointed out that the department’s supplemental budget will be added to about $170 million already appropriated for next fiscal year. The DOE got about $152 million in capital funds for this fiscal year, he told the board.
