GOVERNOR DAVID IGE ISSUES STATEMENT ON DOE BUDGET

News Release from Office of the Governor, Jan 21, 2021

Statement by Governor David Ige:

Due to the pandemic and subsequent reduction in revenues, we anticipated that the Dept. of Education, which is the largest general funded department, would have to take a 10% cut to its budget. However, with additional federal funds and more optimistic revenue projections by the Council on Revenues, we are able to reset the department’s target reductions to 2.5%.

This represents about $123 million dollars that we can now restore to our public-school classrooms so our students can be set on the path to prosperity and success.

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Gov. Ige says DOE’s budget shortfall is $123M less than feared, but teachers union contends hundreds of layoffs still looming

SA: … The Hawaii Board of Education welcomed the news at its meeting today, and discussed how the funds, which could be reallocated to keep staff in place at public schools….

The committee chair said it would be prudent for the department to change their recommendations to reflect the new numbers, and to allow the public time to give its input on them….

Corey Rosenlee, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, said even with the revised budget, some 700 teachers could still potentially be laid off.

(Do you know anybody who believes this?  Just wondering.)

The HSTA earlier this week said the budget cuts and layoffs proposed by the governor and school superintendent violate federal rules that come with the use of stimulus funds.

(And he did this without giggling or snickering at all.)

Those rules — in place to ensure federal funds are used for the intended purpose — say a state must continue to pay its employees and contractors during disruptions related to the coronavirus and maintain support for elementary and secondary education proportional to the three fiscal years prior to COVID-19.

(No they don’t.  As usual the Star-Adv is repeating HSTA lies as if they were fact.  Complete debunk >>> HERE <<<.)

Ronsenlee said even with the restoration of $123 million, the state is not in compliance with these requirements. He said based on the union’s preliminary estimates, the state needs $170 million to $180 million in its budget for public schools to comply with the rules….

(Translation: Don’t let this crisis go to waste! We are still going for a tax hike.)

read … Gov. Ige says DOE’s budget shortfall is $123M less than feared, but teachers union contends hundreds of layoffs still looming

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