Near-term state costs for Maui wildfire response and recovery work are exceeding recent expectations and have led to an emergency funding request at the Legislature.
A proposal to facilitate rebuilding fire-ravaged Lahaina, perhaps with new land-use rules and funding governed by a community- based board, is slated for discussion Wednesday at the state Legislature.
Hawaii public school officials are arguing for more money to restore state budget cuts, cover inflation, continue students’ academic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and insulate against coming “funding cliffs,” but some state legislators are pressing them to first trim spending on any obsolete and ineffective programs.
Test score data suggests that students in Hawaii’s 37 public charter schools as a group are lagging markedly behind regular public school students statewide in core subjects, and that has led some state lawmakers to demand stronger accountability and standards from charter school officials.