Success is for the birds, in good way

San Diego Zoo Global is an international wildlife conservancy devoted to bringing endangered species back from the brink of extinction. It has a track record going back 95 years, conserving, breeding and reintroducing rare species into the wild, including in Hawaii.

The latest progress comes at its Maui Bird Conservation Center in Olinda, where a pair of palila has produced six healthy nestlings. This initial success was achieved during the first full breeding season the center had with the critically endangered songbird. Let’s hope that it is replicated many times over in the years to come.

Prudent steps on schools budget

By ordinary standards, $9 million is a lot of money. But in the context of $325.6 million, which is the public special-education budget this fiscal year, it’s a mere pittance. Further, in the context of the state Department of Education’s $1.4 billion annual budget, it almost seems like loose change under the seat cushion.

About $9 million to fill vacant special-ed jobs is among the items the DOE is prepared to surrender for now, just one aspect of self-belt-tightening being undertaken in anticipation of reduced funds due to lowered state tax projections.

The DOE says those special-ed vacancies have been chronically tough to fill — but assures that student services would not be affected.

Now-resolved court battles over special ed have left deep scars and fears of regressing — but any would-be critic should keep in sight that special ed enjoys a hefty 23 percent of the DOE’s overall budget.