With athletic teams facing escalating transportation costs for in-state travel, the Legislature is appropriating $850,000 to assist public high schools statewide.
The money, for the 2018-19 school year, is intended to help bridge part of a $1.2 million gap in expenses for plane, ferry and bus transportation for the 44 public schools.
The need has been especially acute for neighbor island teams and schools in rural areas.
Rep. Sylvia Luke (D-Makiki, Punchbowl, Nuuanu and Pauoa), who chairs the house finance committee, said assistance for Molokai, Lanai and Hana schools last year triggered discussion of wider aid.
Luke said athletics helps motivate some students for academics and “we didn’t want paying for kids to go to (and from) the neighbor islands to go to tournaments and championships to take away money from academics, which it can.”
The funds will go to the Department of Education, which will distribute them to schools based upon need, Luke said.
In addition to the state funds and school fundraising, Luke said former Hawaii High School Athletic Association director Keith Amemiya and others have pledged their help in coming up with funding.
“We have been in coordination with Mr. Amemiya and his efforts in bringing in private donors,” Luke said. “He recognizes the important of athletic and academics and how the two help motivate kids. He has been in the forefront of championing student athletes.”
Amemiya, now an insurance executive, said the pledge was “linked to my promise to help raise additional funds for the public schools, if the three-tier, OIA-ILH interleague (football) concept was approved.”
The Oahu public and private schools, who underwent a contentious breakup nearly 50 years ago, agreed earlier this year to a football alliance beginning with the 2018 season.
Because of the rising cost of transportation, a report said some schools had required their athletes to find their own way to competition sites to save on bus expenses, while other schools were cutting back on preseason games to reduce costs.
