In the wake of a 10 percent, across-the-board reduction in the Department of Education budget mandated by Gov. Lingle in the face of the economic slowdown, the DOE will be required to cut $69 million from its annual budget for 2009-10 and 2010-11.
At this point, as many as 110 DOE employees could be laid off under a proposed $31.5 million budget that still falls far short of the amount Lingle is considering pulling away from the public education system.
To their credit, the state's various public school leagues – including the MIL – have approached the DOE with proposed cuts.
An earlier DOE proposal would have essentially eliminated junior varsity sports, but that idea was subsequently rejected in August by a 7-4 vote of the Board of Education.
Although JV programs were saved, that didn't resolve the larger issue: Namely, where would the required cuts come from.
The executive directors of the four public school leagues worked together to come up with a list of potential reductions. Their proposal includes cuts in transportation, supplies and equipment.
The costs associated with transportation are of a particular concern for the MIL, which includes schools on Molokai and Lanai, as well as in the remote area of Hana.
________________________________________________________________
Sent via the WebMail system at mail.pacificradiogroup.com
No comments:
Post a Comment