Hawaii Senate Committee OKs Using Hurricane Relief Fund to End Furloughs

Hawaii’s Senate Ways and Means Committee has advanced a bill that would use money from the state’s Hurricane Relief Fund to end school furlough days.

Senate Bill 2124 notes that reductions and restrictions to the Department of Education’s operating budget of more than $49 million for 2009-2010 and more than $226 million for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, have resulted in the loss of 17 instructional days for 10-month non-charter public school students, and 21 instructional days for 12-month, noncharter public school students in the two school years. Using some of the money from the $180 million Hurricane Relief Fund could help alleviate the state budget, and help restore instructional days at public schools.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane Politics