Students, teachers fight possible cuts to performing arts, STEM, other learning center programs

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Students and teachers are fighting against a proposed public school budget cut that could impact performing arts, STEM and agriculture programs statewide.
The full Board of Education is set to vote on the budget Thursday at its general business meeting starting at 1:30 p.m.
Learning centers help pay for theater arts, STEM, agriculture, health, and business.
As they practice for an upcoming musical, senior Eva Tongamoa and the theater students at Mililani High School are now preparing for an unexpected role as advocate.
“I was shocked and kind of disappointed,” said Tongamoa.
“It was in initial disbelief because these programs have been around for years,” said Geneva Esguerra Mililani High’s Performing Arts Learning Center Coordinator.
She told Hawaii News Now the state coordinator sent an email Tuesday about a possible $1.7 million budget cut from the Learning Center program. The Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the budget at its 1:30 p.m. meeting Thursday.
“It will then be up to each individual principal to look at their funds available and say, do I have the funds to continue this program,” said Esguerra.
“Unfortunately, not all schools, not all learning centers, have that ability,” she added.
The DOE says it’s responding to fiscal constraints and lawmaker requests to reassess funding. It wants to shift responsibility for 29 existing Learning Centers from the state level to the school level.
“Subsidies previously provided centrally by the Department’s state office for nearly four decades would be phased out,” the department said in a statement to Hawaii News Now.
“Schools would have the authority to prioritize program offerings using per-pupil school-level funds,” the statement added.
“There are coordinators that I’ve talked to who have straight up said, my principal has told me, if there is no funds, this program will no longer exist,” said Esguerra.
Now students are sign-making, waging a social media campaign and preparing to testify at the BOE meeting to save the arts and make sure the show goes on.
“My whole life that what I’ve committed to was at risk of being taken away from me and future generations,” said Tongamoa.
The Department of Education’s full statement reads:
“The Department is committed to maintaining the essential services provided by our Learning Centers while adapting to fiscal directives. State-level support for new and existing centers will continue to be coordinated by a statewide coordinator, ensuring consistent access to quality learning opportunities for all students.
In response to fiscal constraints and requests from legislators to reassess current funding, the Department is proposing in its budget to shift funding responsibility for 29 existing Learning Centers from the state level to the school level.
Under this plan, subsidies previously provided centrally by the Department’s state office for nearly four decades would be phased out, and schools would have the authority to prioritize program offerings using per-pupil school-level funds.
If approved, this adjustment would be phased in over the next two school years. The allocation from the state office of $17,000 for equipment and supplies for each approved existing Learning Center would end next school year (fiscal 2025-26), and the allocation of half of a teacher position for each approved program would end the following year (fiscal year 2026-27). This aligns with the intent of Act 51, which 20 years ago delegated more purchasing power and authority to the school level.”
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