Public school officials in Hawaii and the union that represents teachers there announced last week that they had agreed to reduce the number of furlough days in the school year. But Gov. Linda Lingle, who must agree to the plan, rejected it as “not a viable solution.”
The governor said she couldn’t agree to a plan that would shorten the school year. Ms. Lingle, a Republican, said the plan would use more than two-thirds of the $50 million she offered from the state’s “rainy day” fund to restore only five days of instruction.
Five of the 10 remaining furlough days would be restored with $35 million from the rainy-day fund, and two teacher-planning days would be used for instruction. The three final days would be scheduled at the end of the school year, so there would be no more furlough Fridays for teachers.
