LT. GOVERNOR DUKE AIONA ISSUES STATEMENT ON TEACHER FURLOUGHS

HONOLULU - Lt. Governor Duke Aiona today issued the following statement regarding a collaborative, comprehensive solution that was reached to end teacher furloughs next school year:

"Solving the furlough issue is a great relief to everyone involved in our public school system as it brings certainty to next year's school calendar.

"As I have said before, we had the resources. It was just a matter of coming together and getting the job done.

"We achieved a comprehensive solution because everyone brought something to the table and cooler heads prevailed for the sake of our children."

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STATEMENT BY LYNN FINNEGAN ON ADMINISTRATION'S PLAN TO END SCHOOL FURLOUGHS

HONOLULU - Lynn Finnegan, Republican candidate for Lt. Governor, released the following statement today in response to Governor Lingle's announcement to end school furloughs:

“Today's announcement that we have seen the last of Furlough Fridays, clearly highlights how deeply the school furlough issue permeated our community.  Furloughs affected not only our students, parents and teachers, but also became a top priority for our business community which is keenly focused on Hawai'i's economic future. 

“It will take our entire community to engage in changing the paradigm of Hawai'i's education system in order to focus on our children.  Therefore, I am ecstatic that Hawai'i's business community, in coordination with Governor Linda Lingle, the BOE, DOE and the Legislature, have offered an innovative financial approach to ending furloughs and ending the uncertainty we've all felt statewide.

“Their tremendous support to ensure our students can get back in the classroom is very much appreciated and I applaud their efforts.”

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