The July 30 edition of the Star-Advertiser included an ad for back-to-school shopping deals. What is there to shop for?

Don’t we have an education department that provides for all the needs of our students — school facilities and needed learning supplies?

Our Department of Education has a roughly $2 billion budget and tens of thousands of employees. What are they all doing with the money? Surely not providing learning supplies like composition books, writing pads and pencils. Nor do they provide decent salaries for teachers living in our expensive state — they are leaving.

We donated $100 in supplies. Lucky we could afford and happy to help needy keiki. But not happy for the cause, sloppiness or ineptitude of our DOE management.

The superintendent makes $240,000, about $60,000 more than the governor. Perhaps he should donate that “overpayment” and provide needed supplies.

Gerhard Hamm

Nuuanu

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