UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

December 16, 2015

Ms. Deanne Goya

Pre K Grant Manager

Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission

`Aha Kula Ho`amana

1111 Bishop Street, Suite 516

Honolulu, HI 96813

Dear Ms. Goya,

This letter is in response to Hawaii’s request to amend its approved Preschool Development Grant -

(PDG - D). The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

(the Departments) approved Hawaii’s grant projects and scope of work on August 10, 2015. On 

September 29, 2015, the State Public Charter School submitted an amendment request, proposing to 

make an amendment to Hawaii’s Preschool Development Grant application. 

As you are aware, the Departments have the authority to approve amendments provided that such a 

change does not alter the scope or objectives of the approved proposal. On September 14, 2015, the 

Departments sent a document to Project Directors describing the process by which amendments would 

be reviewed and approved or denied. To determine whether approval could be granted, the Departments 

have applied the conditions noted in that document and compared it with PDG program requirements 

and conditions. 

Hawaii has made a request to make a Category Two amendment to the State’s Preschool Development 

application. A Category Two Request involves a budget revision of less than $500,000 or a combination 

of changes that add to less than that amount; involves significant changes to activities and timelines but 

does not impact the completion of major activities or deliverables or involves changes to performance 

measures that are either increases in program targets or changes to correct or clarify data (not decreases 

in performance targets).

Hawaii specified that one of their sub-grantees, Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School, 

experienced challenges filling one of their teacher positions with a teacher with the required BA degree. 

However, Laupahoehoe was able to hire a teacher with an Associate’s Degree in early childhood 

education with over 20 years of field wide experience as a teacher and program director. They expect 

that she will have her bachelor’s degree by May 2016, the second year of the grant project.

Under criteria laid out in the PDG – Development notice inviting applications, PDG – Development 

grantees were required to use at least 65% of their grant funds to provide a high-quality preschool 

program and could use up to 35% of their grant funds to develop or enhance preschool program 

infrastructure. PDG – Development grantees were not required to serve eligible children until year two 

of their grant (January 1-December 31, 2016). Hawaii wanted to begin serving eligible children as 
quickly as possible, so proposed to serve four classrooms (one of which is at Laupahoehoe), worth of 

children beginning in fall 2015, the first year of the grant period.

The Charter School Commission is requesting that we consider their activities in Year 1 as part of the 

state’s infrastructural quality improvement efforts, rather than as efforts to provide high-quality 

preschool programs. The state will still meet the required breakdown of funds over the life of the grant, 

with 69% of total federal PDG funds being used to implement high-quality preschool programs.

We understand that this amendment request will not impact Hawaii’s overall PDG-D goals, plans, 

outcomes, or performance measures, but will ensure Hawaii can continue to make progress on its PDGD scope of work activities. 

Please note that this letter will be posted on the Department of Education’s website as a record of the 

amendment request and our approval. Any budget changes are recorded in the GRADS 360 system and 

the detailed budget request is saved in the official grant file. 

We are confident that Hawaii will continue its comprehensive efforts towards building successful state 

systems of early learning. If you need any assistance regarding PDG-D, please do not hesitate to contact 

your Project Officers, Becky Marek, at (202) 260-0968 or Rebecca.Marek@ed.gov or Kim Mitchell at 

(202) 245-7453 or Kimberly.Mitchell@ed.gov.

Sincerely,

/s/ /s/

Libby Doggett

Deputy Assistant Secretary 

Office of Early Learning 

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

U.S. Department of Education

 

Linda K. Smith

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood 

Development

Administration for Children and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services