$75K goes to Ige’s education task group

Gov. David Ige has carved out $75,000 from the Department of Education’s operating budget for an advisory group developing a “blueprint” to transform Hawaii’s public schools.

The funding had been tied up in budget restrictions imposed by the executive branch on state departments as a precautionary measure because state revenues appeared to be lagging below projections.

The DOE last month had petitioned the administration to release the full $4.6 million in general funds withheld from its $1.53 billion budget. Initially, Ige released only $75,000, with a directive that it be used for his task group’s expenses.

The governor subsequently released the remaining funds, which the DOE had budgeted to cover workers’ compensation payments, resources for new facilities, Board of Education expenses and licensing fees, sabbaticals and bonuses to encourage teachers to work in hard-to-staff schools.

The state BOE, which oversees the department’s spending, recently approved transferring the $75,000, but some members were uncomfortable about the decision.

Although a memorandum from the governor approving the release is dated May 25, the department was informed Tuesday morning that the full restriction was being lifted, Amy Kunz, senior assistant superintendent and chief financial officer for the DOE, told the BOE.

“I really appreciate the fact that the governor has released those restricted funds, because, quite frankly, I feel much more comfortable supporting the allocation of the $75,000 now,” Brian De Lima, vice chairman of the BOE, said at the board’s Tuesday meeting, where the allocation was up for approval.

“If the restricted funds were not released,” he added, “it’s really difficult to advocate how we can be supporting a blueprint when we can’t even support the needs of our schools.”

Ige assembled a 19-member group of voluntary educators, community members, lawmakers and business executives following the passage of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, which gives states more authority over public education.

The law, which replaces the No Child Left Behind Act, significantly shifts the balance of control over education policy from the federal government to the states. It covers topics including school accountability, teacher evaluations, student testing and support for struggling schools, and is scheduled to be fully implemented in the 2017-18 school year.

The legislation also grants governors a more active role in developing education plans for their states to comply with the law. Under ESSA the state DOE will need to “consult in a timely and meaningful manner with the governor or appropriate officials from the governor’s office” to develop Hawaii’s education plan, which the governor will need to approve.

In announcing his ESSA team in April, Ige said he saw the new law as an opportunity to “change the face of public education in Hawaii for the better,” and charged his task group with assessing the current public school system and identifying areas of need.

Darrel Galera, a retired public school principal appointed by Ige to lead his ESSA team, said the $75,000 will be used for three main expenses spanning the 10- to 12-month timeline of the task group:

>> $50,000 for an all-day education summit on July 9 for an estimated 800 attendees at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. As of last week more than 700 people had registered for the event. The purpose of the summit is to deepen awareness of ESSA; engage stakeholders and solicit feedback on the group’s preliminary findings; and create a shared vision for a future-focused public education system.

>> $15,000 for 14 planned ESSA team meetings

>> $10,000 to host community town hall meetings across the state “to engage and involve students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members on all islands”

BOE member Jim Williams abstained from voting on the funds, citing concerns about the governor’s approach.

“I’m very pleased that we’ve been informed of the release of the restricted moneys, because obviously the department needs every penny,” Williams said.

But, he added, “This request is a difficult one for me because while the subject of the governor’s team is education, it’s really not a joint project (with the DOE); it’s the governor’s project. And I think it’s really unprecedented for a governor to transfer funds from the department to himself.

“I realize it’s a relatively small amount of money, and so that sways many people. And I don’t really want to be in a position of voting no, but it’s a slippery slope,” Williams added. “If it was $750,000 would it be OK? If it was $7.5 million would it be OK? To me it’s not the best approach, but I’m not going to try to hold it up.”

The remaining board members unanimously approved the funds.

Galera said the work of the group shouldn’t be seen as a pet project. “I think the governor views it as all the work of the state,” he said. “The ESSA law is very specific about how each state needs to have a very serious effort in getting input and feedback from all stakeholders.”

He added, “What the Hawaii DOE is doing and what the ESSA team is doing, it’s all going to come together. It can’t be separate. In the end there will be just one state plan to lead what happens in education. Having multiple efforts, that’s a good thing.”