Members of the Hawaii State Teachers Association are set to vote this week on a plan that would eliminate their state’s 21 remaining teacher furlough days for this school year and next.
The state board of education and the union announced a tentative agreement last week on eliminating the furlough days. The board-teachers’ union accord would require $92 million in state money to abolish the remaining four furlough days this year and 11 next year. An additional six furlough days would be scheduled on existing noninstructional days. The plan does not identify the source of the $92 million, but board officials cited pending legislation that would provide money from two special state accounts: the hurricane and rainy-day funds.
More than 13,000 HSTA members are due to vote on the proposed agreement this week.
Meanwhile, Gov. Linda Lingle outlined her own $62 million proposal to abolish the furlough days that hinges on legislative approval of a proposed constitutional amendment that would give the governor the authority to appoint the state school superintendent. Voters would have to approve the measure, too.
