Hundreds of Hawaii Charter School students, teachers, parents and supporters rallied at the capitol on Tuesday to get support for more funding.

Funding Flap Over Hawaii Charter Schools
By Laura Brown, Legislative Assistant

Charter school parents and students rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday after reaching a dead end on budget negotiations with the legislature. Charter schools are projected to receive lump sum funding of $56,100,695 - an increase of $4,464,705 - but have to divide that amount to include 3 new charter schools that will open next school year.

Put simply, per student funding will decrease from $7,861, based on current per pupil projections, to $7,136.59, a 12.4% reduction. "Our legislators are choosing not to educate 1 in 8 children," stated Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences Principal Steve Hirakami, one of the impacted charter schools.

Senate Ways & Means Chair Roz Baker boldly displayed her memo to the executive director of the Charter School Administrative Office on poster boards on stands during the rally. Baker had previously berated the Governor for not requesting the money earlier and in the memo did not agree with the governor's Senior Policy Advisor Linda Smith for her request to the DOE to shift $2 million to charter schools.

Concerned parents stated that House Finance Chair Marcus Oshiro's office told them that every department has to take a budget cut, except charter schools. However, the DOE's budget is projected to increase from $2.4 billion to approx. $2.8 billion and $2.9 billion in FY 2009. The DOE will carry over $46.3 million, according to DOE CFO James Breese. Meanwhile, enrollment in regular public schools continues to drop, less teachers are hired, but the number of district and state level positions continues to grow.

The funds could be allocated to in-class programs.