Support DOE Budget Transparency to Improve Public Education in Hawaii
From Education Institute of Hawaii, May, 2019
The Education Institute of Hawaii (EIH) believes it is our duty to provide Hawaii public school students with the best education possible and present them with opportunities that position them for success. That begins with a properly funded and transparent Hawaii Department of Education (DOE) budget. We also believe decisions that affect students need to be made as close to them as possible.
Currently, fiscal decisions in public education are made with a top-down philosophy rather than budgeting with the schools’ needs prioritized first. It remains unclear exactly how the DOE’s nearly $1.9 billion operating budget is being spent due to the complex, non-transparent nature of its budget. This is not to mention the roughly $1 billion in other expenses that make up the almost $3 billion DOE budget as stated in the 2017 financial audit.
This prompts the question, “Is the DOE adequately funded?” The truth is, we don’t know.
YOU can assist EIH with our efforts to produce a much-needed financial study that provides a detailed accounting of how the DOE’s budget is being spent. Please sign this petition asking the DOE Superintendent to provide access to the DOE’s general ledger data, which is PUBLIC information. EIH formally requested this data through the Freedom of Information Act, but the DOE has not provided this critical information.
Our goal is to produce a proven database tool that allows everyone to see how every education dollar is being spent. Understanding where the money is being spent will help build a public school system that makes the best use of the DOE budget at the school level.
We need your support to complete this financial study. Please sign this petition and together, we can build trust and transparency that will lead to empowering educators to create the excellent public education system our students deserve.
Mahalo for your support!
Link >>> Sign petition
To learn more, please see:
CB: Nonprofit Group Says DOE Is Withholding Key Financial Data
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