Is HI’s Education Saved by the Bill? (The State of the State of Hawaii)
Channel: ThinkTech Hawaii
Date: 2021-06-08

What Lawmakers Unanimously Approved.  The host for this episode is Stephanie Dalton.  The guest for this episode is Colleen Hanabusa.

The show’s guest, Colleen Hanabusa, who has served Hawaii in many leadership and policymaking roles discusses the federal windfall of the American Rescue Plan Act’s $412 million for Hawaii, and lawmakers unanimous approval of House Bill 613.  The Department of Education budget of $2.1 billion is mostly funded through state general appropriations, which were curtailed by the pandemic.  The federal infusion of funds staved off numerous reductions in services and payroll while stimulating system recovery.  The guest shares how lawmakers and policymakers’ decisions will or will not meet the needs for Hawaii’s full recovery.  Are funds available in equitable and balanced ways for addressing longstanding issues in systems such as public schools’ air cooling and filtering as well as for restoring and renewing teaching for all students’ learning.

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