July 25, 2022
State legislature passes bill with $200 million for expanding preschool access
The Hawaiʻi State Legislature passed six bills that invest $220 million in education, with $200
million appropriated for the goal of expanding preschool access to all 3- and 4-year olds by 2032.
The $220 million is in addition to the $2.4 billion in the Department of Education’s most recent
budget. The bills were sent to Gov. David Ige for his consideration.
The biggest chunk of the additional funding is for the education portion of HB 2000.
It appropriates $200 million to the School Facilities Authority to expand access to pre-kindergarten
for eligible children. The funds may be used to construct new school facilities; renovate, improve
and expand existing school facilities to increase pre-kindergarten student capacity; and any other
costs to increase pre-kindergarten student capacity within the state.
In 2020, the legislature passed Act 46, which created a goal to expand preschool access to all 3-
and 4-year olds by 2032. But there were two issues with meeting that goal: lack of preschool
facilities and lack of a qualified workforce.
"Making big change such as providing preschool access for 3- and 4-year old keiki takes time,"
said Rep. Justin Woodson, Chair of the House Committee on Education. "Last year, we adopted HB
1362 to create a stipend program for UH students to become early childhood educators. This
year, HB 2000 provides an appropriation of $200 million to create appropriate spaces for
these keiki to learn effectively. This investment lays the foundation for Hawaii’s children to succeed."
The other 2022 bills the legislature passed that provide additional educational funding:
• SB 2821. Relating to menstrual equality, it requires the Department of Education to
provide menstrual products free of charge to all students on all public school campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is one of the most powerful predictors of student success or failure.
It is a priority for Hawaiʻi public schools to minimize or eliminate chronic absenteeism.
The inability to adequately manage menstruation, specifically the lack of access to menstrual
products in schools, limits full participation in school, contributes to higher rates of
school absenteeism and missed activities, and negatively impacts a student’s ability to learn.
The 2021 study of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women and Mai Movement Hawaiʻi
reported that 42% of respondents missed class or left school because the respondents did not have
access to menstrual products, and nearly 22% of respondents missed school entirely. Of those
who missed school entirely, nearly 12% missed three to five school days, and 6% missed six to
10 school days in an academic year.
• SB 2826: Relating to Education, it appropriates $2.6 million to establish a career
development success program to provide financial incentives for participating public high schools
and public charter schools to encourage students in grades 9 through 12 to enroll in and successfully
complete qualified industry-credential programs.
This bill will help fill shortages of qualified credentialed workers in various sectors,
including health, education, air travel, agriculture and technology. In the current job market,
65% of available positions require post-secondary credentials. Full-time employees with industry
credentials earn more than their un-credentialed counterparts.
• SB 2184, Relating to digital learning, it appropriates $7 million to create and staff the
digital learning center. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged the Department of Education to adopted
digital learning, which has the potential to promote equitable delivery of high-quality educational
offerings to students across the state.
• SB 2862: Relating to Education, it appropriates an additional $10 million to provide air
conditioning for schools. The legislature initially invested $100 million in heat abatement upgrades
in 2016 (Act 47). This resulted in more than 1,300 public classrooms being cooled. More than 5,000
classrooms still require heat abatement improvements.
• SB 2819: Relating to Teacher Compensation, it will assist with recruitment and retention of
teachers by fixing inequities in the salary schedules.
April 20, 2021
Rep. Woodson Congratulates Hawai'i's Executive Office on Early Learning on National Recognition
Hawai'i's Executive Office on Early Learning Public Prekindergarten Program has been recognized for meeting
all 10 of the quality standard benchmarks identified by the National Institute for Early Education Research.
The national ranking for these benchmarks is part of NIEER's annual State Preschool Yearbook that it released
this morning. The 10 standards serve as indicators of what is required to establish a high-quality public
preschool program. Hawai'i is one of only five states to meet all 10 benchmarks.
Over the last several years, EOEL has worked with the State Legislature to establish the EOEL Public
Prekindergarten Program as well as dedicate funding to building out the program on more campuses.
"It is a great honor to be recognized as one of the top performing prekindergarten systems in the country,"
said Representative Justin Woodson (D-9, Kahului, Pu‘unēnē, Old Sand Hills, Maui Lani), Chair of the House
Committee on Education. "Over the past couple of years, we made great strides to expand access to
high-quality early learning opportunities, and we will continue to prioritize Hawai‘i’s keiki and provide
them with the proper foundation to foster conducive learning.”
"We're incredibly proud of the EOEL Public Prekindergarten Program, which is still in its infancy, having
been established in 2015. Achieving 10 out of 10 quality standard benchmarks within a fairly short period
of time is a testament to the partnerships we’ve built – with Department of Education schools and educators,
with the State Legislature, and more,” said EOEL Director Lauren Moriguchi. “Attaining these benchmarks
signifies that the foundation we’ve built is solid. With a solid foundation, we know that our educators,
families and, most importantly, students are supported. This is especially relevant as the early childhood
community looks to fulfill the State Legislature’s vision for expanded access to early learning opportunities," she said.
Click here for full article
The full State Preschool Yearbook is available online here
https://nieer.org.
September 16, 2020
Rep. Woodson's Child Care Bill Recognized Nationally
Rep. Woodson's Child Care Bill Recognized Nationally
November 13, 2020, 12:16 PM HST · Updated November 13, 12:23 PM
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The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the Low Income Investment Fund
recently hosted an online panel conversation to discuss Integrating Child
Care into Housing and Community Facilities.
The panel spotlighted passage of HB2543 HD1 SD2 (Act 46) that was described
by participants as "the most progressive early childhood bill to be
passed during COVID19."
Kerrie Urosevich, the Lead for Network Design and Innovation at
Hawai'i's Early Childhood Action Strategy was one of the guest
speakers during the webinar and said in an email following the
event that, "We are deeply grateful for Rep. Woodson’s leadership on this bill."
Rep. Justin H. Woodson (D-9, Kahului, Pu‘unēnē, Old Sand Hills,
Maui Lani), Chair of the House Education Committee, said families with
young children desperately need more early learning choices.
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"I am very thankful for the support of the Federal Reserve Bank of San
Francisco, the Low Income Investment Fund, and Dr. Kerrie Urosevich for
her valuable input on the proposal," said Rep. Woodson. "It is my hope
that Act 46 will help expand high quality early learning opportunities
across the state as expeditiously as is humanly possible. The need is great."
The Oct. 22 discussion included about 189 leaders from across the nation
from business, philanthropy, early care and learning, housing and social
services sectors.
In this webinar, guest speakers discussed how communities can work with
developers and other stakeholders in innovative efforts to co-locate
childcare facilities within larger development projects to promote livable
neighborhoods.
Urosevich said she was asked to share information about the process of
getting the bill passed, the impacts of COVID19 on Hawai'i's early
childcare programs, and plans for the bill’s implementation.
"Given the focus of the panel, I shared specifically about the use of
public or state-owned facilities for child care [including] libraries,
the Imiloa astronomy center, the Convention Center, and Aloha Stadium,"
she said in her email.
House Bill 2543 (Act 46) was part of the 2020 joint House-Senate
legislative package to address the economic challenges facing Hawai'i's
working-class families by increasing wages and tax benefits, investing in
child care, and accelerating the building of more affordable housing units.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, advancement of
these bills were paused. At the adjournment of the unprecedented 2020
session in July 2020, House Bill 2543 was one of only 76 bills to be enacted
into law. House Bill 2543 (Act 46) establishes the goal of providing access
to early learning by 2032 to all children who are 3 to 4 years old.
The law also expands the Preschool Open Doors Program to provide grants for
establishing new private preschools and expanding existing private preschools
and authorizes the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System to establish early
learning classrooms at libraries.
Click
here to view the full webinar.
June 10, 2020
Maui County's Share of CIP Funds is More Than $533 Million
Link to article
More than $533 million was set aside for Capital Improvement Projects on Maui,
Lana'i and Moloka'i as part of the $5.1 billion CIP budget bill passed by the
state legislature on May 21 for Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021.
"A major focus of this year has been to continue investing in the aging
infrastructure of our schools. One of the top priorities for Baldwin High
School has been obtaining their own locker room, weight room, and dance
facility on-campus so they can vacate county facilities," said Representative
Troy Hashimoto. "The funds have been secured for both the planning and
construction and I hope to see it completed in the near future."
HB 2725 HD1 SD1 provides funds for Capital Improvement Projects including
many "shovel ready" construction projects that can begin work quickly providing
much needed jobs to help resuscitate our struggling economy due to the coronavirus.
"Very happy we were able to sharpen our pencils and fund these important
projects. Many of these projects like the $9 million for infrastructure to
build the next phase of Villages of Leali'i and the $7.6 million for
Lahainaluna Campus, will improve our quality of life will help kick start
our economy as well," said Representative Angus L. K. McKelvey.
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House Lower and Higher Education Chair Justin H. Woodson said a top CIP
project is the $3 million set aside to plan and design a much needed new
middle school in central Maui.
"In this time of financial crisis Capital Improvement Projects are critical
to help spur our local economy. This is a perfect time to make much needed
renovations, repairs and major maintenance to existing facilities," said Woodson.
Maui County projects include renovations, repairs, and major maintenance to
existing facilities, landscape improvements, new construction, land
acquisition, and utility modifications.
June 3, 2020
Lawmakers, Union Officials Are Pushing Back Against State Pay Cuts
Link to article
Although Gov. David Ige has not made a decision yet to impose furloughs on state
workers, some of Hawaii's public workers unions are intent on killing the
proposal before it ever gets going.
In the past week, Ige has met privately with those union leaders as well as
House Speaker Scott Saiki and Senate President Ron Kouchi to discuss a
possible 20% pay cut for workers in the state.
Lawmakers along with heads of the Hawaii Government Employees Association
and the Hawaii State Teachers Association joined a growing chorus of
public workers in the state calling on Ige to look to other areas of the
state budget before cutting workers' pay.
"Although Governor Ige has the unilateral authority to impose furloughs
and salary cuts, we do not agree with such action," Saiki and Kouchi
said in a statement. "We urge the Governor to obtain better data and
analysis before he makes this decision."
Masked Governor David Ige during COVID19 press conference held at
the Capitol. April 8, 2020.
Gov. David Ige won't implement pay cuts yet, and Hawaii's public
workers unions want to make sure he never does.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Ige said those cuts won't come yet, and that he is exploring other
options - although he provided almost no details on what those
options might be in a press conference Wednesday.
He also announced that he and his cabinet would also take pay cuts if
furloughs are imposed on state workers.
The state is projecting hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax
revenue as a result of the tourism downturn. Ige said Wednesday that
the state may need to shave $1.5 billion off the state's $16 billion
budget over the next six months.
But it still has other options to save money. And in December, state
officials reported a carryover balance of over $600 million from last
fiscal year.
Hawaii is poised to receive nearly $10 million in a federal bailout
through the CARES Act to support education during the coronavirus crisis.
Although Saiki and Kouchi oppose the pay cuts, they said the Legislature
will still work with Ige on balancing the budget.
"Although we disagree with Governor Ige’s proposal, the Legislature will
work with him to assess and pursue all options," they said in a written statement.
Money Committees Eyeing Cuts
State lawmakers were already looking for places to save money once the pandemic struck.
"I think we need to exhaust other options first," Senate Ways and Means
Chair Donovan Dela Cruz said Wednesday. "Cut some of those programs that
are no longer useful."
Dela Cruz said the state could also look to tap certain special funds that
have accrued over the years. He also suggested Ige wait for federal money
earmarked for helping states to come in.
Lawmakers were considering eliminating certain tax credits that go
unused to free up some funds.
Dela Cruz said he hopes the governor takes this as an opportunity to
change the way the government does business. With both public and private
sector employees working from home, Dela Cruz said it may be time for the
state to consider telework options, which could save money on facility use.
"There's got to be a way where, when we reopen government, we reopen it in
a much more efficient way to provide public service," he said.
Finance Chair Sylvia Luke and Donovan Dela Cruz Look on during county Mayors reports.
Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz and Rep. Sylvia Luke also want Ige to look at other
options before furloughing employees.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
House Finance Chair Sylvia Luke said neither she nor Dela Cruz were consulted
before Ige came up with the furlough proposal. Luke noted that the state has
$391 million in its rainy day fund.
"I think we need to proceed cautiously," Luke said. "There are unemployment
issues, record number of job losses. UI, NAP, Medquest claims. If there's any
time to dip into the rainy day this would be it."
HGEA Director Randy Perreira also urged Ige to look for other places to find
money or cut the budget before jumping straight to furloughs.
In a letter to the governor on Tuesday, Perreira suggested looking at money
that has been budgeted for vacant positions that are still unfilled.
Perreira asked that the state forego payments to the Hawaii Employee
Retirement System, and the Employee Union Health Benefit Trust Fund. On Wednesday,
Ige didn't commit to that option when asked but said he is exploring multiple
options to save money.
Ige said that $868 million in federal CARES Act funding coming to Hawaii
can't be used for existing government operations, or to cover pay.
The HSTA is also coming out strongly against the cuts.
A 20% salary cut for a DOE teacher would mean a reduction of $600 to $1,800 in
monthly income for educators, according to HSTA. The average teacher pay in
Hawaii is $65,000.
HSTA President Corey Rosenlee said a 20% reduction in teacher salaries instituted
across the board would result in cost savings of roughly $80 million a month.
But funding is still pending from the federal stimulus package and with the
state's surplus and rainy day funds, any salary reduction is premature, he said.
"If we cut teacher salaries it will force teachers to retire and our new
teachers to leave. We cannot open our schools if we don't have enough teachers," he said.
Few Details Available
In a video conference call with reporters Wednesday, Rosenlee said he had few
details on the proposed cuts to members.
"We have not been given anything written as a proposal, whether a salary cut or a
furlough. They did say they would talk to us more some," he said.
HSTA Executive Director Wilbert Holck met with the governor's representatives
Tuesday, Rosenlee said, adding the proposed cuts were “not a suggestion.”
The HSTA represents roughly 13,700 teachers and counselors statewide.
HSTA members would not be the only DOE employees affected by the proposed cuts.
HGEA, the state’s largest state worker union, represents roughly 2,700
education assistants who serve as staff support to teachers as well as other
DOE personnel like administrators and principals.
Rosenlee first sounded the alarm in a letter email blast circulated to teachers
late Tuesday night, in which he said Hawaii's public sector unions had
"received ominous news" from the Ige administration.
The letter communicated the governor’s intention to implement a 20% salary cut
for most public sector employees including teachers, and a 10% cut for first
responders like nurses, police officers and firefighters.
"This is unacceptable," Rosenlee said in the letter, a copy of which was
provided to Civil Beat. "We believe cutting salaries for tens of thousands
of state workers is rash and will hurt our state even more."
The state is already contending with a teacher shortage. Starting this year,
the DOE began offering pay differentials to the hardest to retain teachers:
those in special education, Hawaiian immersion and who are based in remote,
rural areas.
HSTA President Corey Rosenlee at DOE presser announcing pay increases for
special needs and Hawaiian language teachers.
HSTA President Corey Rosenlee is urging Gov. David Ige to reconsider any pay
cuts or teacher furloughs.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
The pay bumps, which ranged from an additional $3,000 to $10,000 yearly,
will be untouched the rest of this school year, given they were budgeted
into the DOE's current fiscal year budget, which ends June 30, said Board
of Education chairwoman Catherine Payne.
DOE officials had been lobbying for additional legislative funding to
continue those pay differentials into the 2020-21 school year and beyond
before session was abruptly cut short due to coronavirus.
"We're not anticipating any change through the end of the school year for
our teachers — they're still working, they're just working in a different
way," said Payne.
During Thursday's HSTA call, several educators spoke about how a pay cut
could devastate their futures. Dana Shishido, a third grade teacher at
Wheeler Elementary and 30-year DOE veteran, said she would consider an
early retirement.
Jodi Kunimitsu, a math teacher at Maui High, said the difference in the
pay cut for her would be equivalent to the cost of her son’s childcare.
"It always seems the budget is trying to be balanced on the backs of the
most essential workers," she said.
The last time the state imposed furloughs was during the 2009 economic
crisis. Then-Gov. Linda Lingle imposed 24 Furlough Fridays for state
workers starting June 2009, including 17 days of Furlough Fridays for
DOE teachers which lasted nearly an entire school year, from October 2009 to May 2010.
Lawmakers who work on education issues are also concerned about cuts to
teacher and staff pay.
House Rep. Amy Perruso, a teacher at Mililani High who represents Wahiawa,
said this move was "really premature" and reflected "unbelievably poor leadership."
"It's just ridiculous, unless their intention is to actually gut state government,"
she said. "I don’t think they really have a sense of what our financial situation
will look like. We haven't seen all those monies flow into state coffers yet."
Rep. Justin Woodson, chair of the House Lower and Higher Education committee,
said there had been informal conversations in the Legislature on mitigation to
deal with a potentially double-digit percent loss in state revenue due to the
economic hit. One of those tools included furloughs, he said.
"We should attempt to look for other avenues before cutting pay," he said.
"Education shouldn't be looked at as a first option."
March 9, 2020
Joint Economic Package Seeks to Benefit Maui County Working Families
Link to MauiNow article
Maui's working families could see benefits in affordable housing, expanded child care, and tax
relief from a joint House and Senate package of economic bills being introduced during the 2020
Legislative Session.
House Lower & Higher Education Committee Chair Justin H. Woodson said the bill package could
change the lives of many of Maui's working families for generations to come.
"These measure focus on increasing wages and providing tax benefits, investing in child care and
early learning, and creating more affordable housing units. Taken together this will increase
economic stability and expand the middle class," said Representative Woodson.
Woodson said that the joint legislative bill package is in response to the issues highlighted in
the Aloha United Way sponsored report, "ALICE: A Study of Financial Hardship in Hawaii."
The ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report describes the economic hardships facing
many working individuals and families in Hawai?i. According to the report, after allocating monies to
pay for expenses such as housing, child care, food, taxes, health care, and transportation, a family
of four needs to earn roughly $77,000 a year simply to survive.
This is the first time since 2004 that a joint House and Senate legislative bill package has been
introduced at the start of a session. The package also has the strong backing of the Governor and
several community advocate groups.
"Being at the community level, I see it every day how people from all walks of life are just hardly
making ends meet. Living paycheck to paycheck not affording housing and when someone in the family is
ill it just puts limitations on the family budget and they are unable to put food on the table," said
Cesar Gaxiola, Executive Director of the J. Walter Cameron Center. "In the last few years, I have seen
so many of the younger generation moved to the mainland since salaries here are not enough to cover
their education nor their living expenses. I am glad to see our State officials, legislature, private
sector and nonprofits in alliance to effectively deal with the circumstances and find a compromise to
abet our communities."
"I join with my Maui Senate colleagues in strong support of a holistic approach to assisting the working
poor," said Senator Rosalyn Baker (South and West Maui). "Many of these families are headed by women and
apt to be in low-wage jobs. Enacting a refundable earned income tax credit, coupled with an increase in
the minimum wage, will be more impactful for these single-parent households. In addition, providing
greater access to public pre-school will not only give their children a learning head start, but also a
home budget savings in providing childcare. This approach will be both cost effective for the State in
the long run and beneficial to families as well."
The economic package includes:
-Targeting tax relief for working class families and individuals,
-Increasing the minimum wage to $13 an hour by 2024,
-Providing $75 million in General Obligation Bonds for the neighbor island counties to defray affordable
housing infrastructure costs,
-Providing tax exemptions for developers to build market priced homes,
-Expanding childcare options for parents to all university sites statewide and in rural areas with
limited childcare options,
-Creating a new Schools Facilities Agency and allow DOE to focus on education.
-Reducing Income Inequality
To put money back into the pockets of residents, one measure will provide tax relief for working families by
making the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) refundable and permanent. That means qualified families can get
a cash refund of up to $380 through this tax credit.
According to the ALICE report, minimum wage is not nearly enough to live on. This package includes a bill
that will provide incremental increases in the minimum wage bringing it to $13 an hour by 2024.
"I support the strategy of addressing the challenges of our working poor in a holistic way. Our working
poor-many of them single-parent households-need help with Hawaii's high cost of living and housing. It makes
sense to provide income relief with a hike in the minimum wage and making the Earned Income Tax Credit
refundable, but one of the biggest costs faced by them is childcare," said Senator Gilbert Keith-Agaran
(Wailuku, Waihe'e, Kahului). "So, accelerating public pre-school availability is a way to address child
care. Finally, to get serious with getting homes built, the State and the Counties need to streamline the
process for projects that are providing housing for local residents and for the State to invest in
infrastructure that will reduce the costs of building those homes."
Increasing Affordable Housing
Many in Hawai?i cannot afford to buy a home, especially when they have to compete with outside investors
with deep pockets. To address this issue, the state will identify publicly-owned properties that can be
used to develop 99-year leasehold units. Half of those homes will be reserved for working-class families
earning 140 percent of the area median income (AMI).
The state will also invest $75 million in General Obligation Bonds on the neighbor islands to defray
affordable housing infrastructure costs and offer a General Excise Tax exemption for projects that meet
the goal of 140% AMI or below.
"This funding will directly benefit Maui residents by helping to pay for the infrastructure - the roads,
sewers, utility lines - that developers need to build affordable housing," said Representative Troy N.
Hashimoto (Kahakuloa, Waihe'e, Waiehu, Pu'uohala, Wailuku, Waikapu). "Our residents need affordable homes."
"This is especially important for Maui residents," said Rep. Angus L.K. McKelvey (West Maui, Ma'alaea,
North Kihei). "We do not have enough homes for working families and those available or too expensive or
too small. I'm happy that the legislature is taking up these issues this session."
Access to Learning for all 3- and 4-year-olds
Many families are forced to forgo child care and early learning for their children and those who do budget
for child care spend about one-third of their incomes on it.
To solve this problem, this package contains a bill to create a public-private model to increase the capacity
at existing private childcare facilities supported with public funds and also develop new facilities for
early learning programs for 3- and 4-year-old children where they are needed.
State-owned sites in rural areas and on all the university campuses will provide space to expand the number
of early learning centers.
"It is well known that students that have the benefit of early learning do better when they enter school,"
said Education Chair Woodson. "All parents want what is best for their children and this proposal will help
give them a better education."
Building Educational Results
In order to allow the Department of Education to focus on its primary purpose of teaching our children, the
legislature proposes to create a new Schools Facilities Agency to oversee major construction and repair
projects in our schools.
The Governor will appoint an executive director for the new agency which will be responsible for all public
school construction except for repair and maintenance projects that cost $100,000 or less.
"This proposal will allow the DOE to focus on teaching our children rather than construction and repair
projects," said Rep. Kyle T. Yamashita (Spreckelsville, Pukalani, Makawao, Kula, Keokea, Ulupalakua, Kahului).
"This will be a great benefit for our students, parents, and teachers "
"It's a matter of letting the DOE focus on their primary mission for providing our students with the best
education possible," said Rep. Lynn DeCoite (Ha'iku, Hana, Kaupo, Kipahulu, Nahiku, Pa'ia, Kaho'olawe, Lana'i,
Moloka'i, Molokini).
March 9, 2020
Early Education To Expand But Lawmakers Grapple With What That Means
Link to article
State lawmakers have recognized the need for affordable child care in the state, so much so that they've made it a part of a joint-legislative package negotiated by the governor and House and Senate leaders.
But a divide is emerging between those who want flexibility in qualifying child care or early learning teachers and those who say instructors must be well-trained in early childhood. And teacher qualifications impact the level of care and learning that could be provided in an expanded system.
A 2017 study by the University of Hawaii's Center on the Family found the demand for child care in the state greatly exceeded the supply. Although 64% of children need care because their parents work, state Department of Human Service-regulated child care providers can only take in 25% of that group.
One of the major initiatives of the joint package is Senate Bill 3101 that aims to expand parents' options for early learning opportunities for children between 3- and 4-years-old. The measure calls for moving the Executive Office of Early Learning, which currently operates Hawaii's public preschool program within the Department of Education, to the Department of Human Services. It would also rename the office to the "Learning to Grow Agency."
House Finance Chair Sylvia Luke is one of the backers of the bill. She explains that in order to expand early learning in the state, there must be collaboration with the private sector -- something she says the Department of Education cannot carry out.
"About 20,000 kids every year, 3- and 4-year-olds do not have access to any type of preschools, child care or early education opportunities . . . number one because of finances and number two because it's not available in that area," she said. "Part of it was really about providing child care and learning opportunities for children so that it helps working families go back to work."
Luke envisions the early learning initiative as building off existing programs in the Department of Human Services, such as one that verifies early childhood workers meet the education and experience requirements for licensing child care centers.
The bill would establish a state goal of providing access to early learning programs to all 3- to 4-year-old children. In 2018, the National Institute for Early Education Research reported that only about 6% of the state's three-year-olds and 7% of four-year-olds were enrolled in Hawaii's public preschools.
Under current state law, the Executive Office of Early Learning is responsible for children from prenatal care to their entry into kindergarten. The proposal would limit the agency's jurisdiction to only 3- and 4-year-olds.
State Rep. Justin Woodson, who chairs the House Lower and Higher Education Committee and supports the bill, said although the agency's focus would be narrowed, it would still be the state's long-term goal to offer more programs for younger children.
"There seems to be a synergy within the community, a desire to want to concentrate on that particular age bracket first," he said. "We can only build out so much within a certain amount of time. So that's why the concentration is on 3- and 4-year-olds right now."
During the rollout of the joint-legislative package, Woodson said the goal is to build 100 new classrooms a year over the next decade. He said that these classrooms would not necessarily be defined as preschools.
"It's important to note that this new proposal, the idea is to provide early learning opportunities," he said. "That can be anything from a public pre-kindergarten classroom ... to daycare to also private sector preschool or pre-kindergarten classrooms. The idea is to offer families a whole menu of offerings and that way families can choose what is best for their children."
While excited about the expansion of early learning opportunities, Robyn Chun, director of the University of Hawaii-Manoa Graduate Early Childhood Education Programs, worries about how the initiative might be carried out.
"I think there are two big challenges to expansion. One is facilities, of course," she said. "But the real big question that I constantly come back to with all this legislation is: what is the infrastructure for the workforce?"
In other words, who will teach the children? There's already a shortage of preschool teachers, who must meet strict qualifying standards while earning less than instructors in K-12 grades.
To be a teacher in the current public preschool program, an instructor must complete a bachelor's degree and coursework in early childhood education and meet the Hawaii teacher standards board licensing requirements for a pre-kindergarten teacher.
According to the Hawaii State Teachers Association, there are 500 licensed preschool teachers within the Department of Education, but only a few are actually teaching preschool, likely because they can earn more in higher grades.
Luke said the requirement of having a four-year-degree in early learning may be making it unnecessarily difficult for other professionals, such as retirees who want to return to teaching, to staff preschool classrooms.
"I don't think it's right that we put up those barriers and require an early education degree," she said. "Why would they go for four years and get an early learning degree when they can get a regular education degree and be a special education teacher and then get paid way more?"
She said that is why the bill is written broadly - allowing DHS to coordinate with the private sector to employ teachers who may not necessarily match existing standards for public preschool.
"I don't think we should be concentrating on categorizing what is a preschool and what's not a preschool, what's child care," Luke said. "We're very careful and respectful of the private providers. What we want to concentrate on is providing access to learning for a lot of these kids."
However, Chun said there are key differences in early learning training compared to that for K-12 education. Early learning coursework covers such subjects as child development in social-emotional communication and working with families in the community.
The qualification of teachers affects the level of care that would provided in additional early learning classrooms.
"[Child] care is built around the assumption of providing basic health and safety. . . that's a baseline. I think we have to ask the question whether that's enough, particularly when you're talking about vulnerable families, families in stress," Chun said.
"That takes some knowledge and understanding, and early childhood is a field where the research is interdisciplinary. It's crossing over into knowledge of families and, almost like social work, social support and a network of understanding of child development," she said.
Rep. Woodson noted that although the bill is looking to expand the early learning program, he is not in favor of dismantling public preschools and agrees with Chun that early learning coursework is important.
"The public pre-K program, that will not change, that will not be altered ... we're going to continue to expand our public pre-K program. That is the intention," he said.
"But we're going to offer other early learning opportunities. And these are for families that want their children to be in some sort of early learning setting, but don't right now have that opportunity."
Chun thinks that there needs to be more investment in training early education teachers and growing the field. She said UH has doubled the number of students graduating with early education degrees, but with the same number of faculty.
"If we want to build this, we need to invest in the infrastructure to build this," she said. "The states that are more successful in both expanding out and maintaining that high level . . . are states that have done their homework and put effort into the development so that they can sustain their program over time."
Lawmakers are expected to hear S.B. 3101 in committee sometime in February.
March 9, 2020
Access to Learning Bill Moves Forward in the House
Link to Maui News
The House Committee on Lower & Higher Education and the House Finance Committee today amended and
passed HB2543 HD1 to expand early learning opportunities for 3 and 4 year old children across the state.
The bill now moves to the full House for a vote.
"Over the course of the last year we have been working on this bill as a cost of living measure to
address the lack of available early learning centers across the state," Rep. Justin H. Woodson said
in a press release.
"Today we are making several amendments and adjustments to this bill, and I want to thank everyone who
has worked so hard to pass this measure because it will greatly benefit our keiki and our working families."
Below is a list of requirements that the bill would mandate:
-The bill requires the parents or guardians of public school kindergarten students to the disclose information
on the child's prior child care program or prekindergarten attendance, if any, for the purpose of determining
areas with the highest need for prekindergarten and child care programs.
-It requires the Department of Education to assess kindergarten students, establishes the preschool open doors
trust fund and requires annual reporting.
-It expands Preschool Open Doors Program eligibility from 4-year-old children to all children who are 3 to 4
years old or will not be at least five years old on or before July 31 of the current school year.
-It requires annual reporting regarding the revenues and expenditures of the early learning special fund and
establishes a program for Department of Human Services to award grants for preschools.
-The bill appropriates funds and authorizes positions for the preschool open doors program, appropriates funds
for the Department of Human Services to expand its information technology system for the purpose of managing
information on prekindergarten attendance and child care need and to contract for and operate preschool and
child care programs.
-It establishes an Early Learning Coordinator position within the Executive Office on Early Learning.
-It also establishes the goal of providing all children who are 3 to 4 years old, or will not be at least five
years old on or before July 31 of the current school year, with enrollment in a preschool program by the year
2030 and assigns that responsibility to the Early Learning Coordinator.
-The bill appropriates funds to the 'Imiloa Astronomy Center for building classrooms for Hawaiian language
immersion pre-kindergarten programs and appropriates funds for building early learning services classrooms
on public library property.
This early education bill is part of a joint economic package introduced by the House and Senate, and supported
by the Ige Administration to address Hawaii's cost of living obstacles.
The joint working class economic package is designed to tackle the issues highlighted in the Aloha United Way
sponsored report,"ALICE: A Study of Financial Hardship in Hawaii."
Rep. Sylvia Luke noted that among more than 100 pages of testimony only two testifiers did not support the bills.
"This bill provides an overlay of our vision that within 10 years to provide all children with access to early
learning," Luke said.
"It's not as easy as people think it is. It's about providing full access and the ability of working families to
have their child ready to learn when they enter kindergarten. This is a huge task and we have relied on you folks
for your thoughtful advice and support to get this bill where it is today."
Business, community and nonprofit educational groups have been adamant in their support for this measure.
"As a network of partners that support the health, safety and learning of our youngest keiki, we are excited about
the potential expansion of child care and early learning programs for three and four-year olds," said Kerrie Urosevich,
Lead for Network Design and Innovation at Hawai`i Early Childhood Action Strategy.
"Over several decades, early childhood partners have worked diligently to elevate the importance of access to affordable
and high-quality child care and early learning opportunities, which strengthen family income and support early cognitive,
physical and social development. We are deeply grateful for the proposed financial commitments by the legislature,
philanthropy and business sectors to make it happen. The implementation of this 10-year vision will only be successful
if we leverage the early childhood eco-system together, with leaders from programs, philanthropy, business, the
legislature, state departments and families themselves. There is no more important job than the one that builds the
brains and hearts of our youngest in our society. Creating viable plans that will ensure early childhood providers are
able to make a living wage in Hawai'i is imperative for the success of the expansion and should be prioritized. The
economic stimulus package, of which HB2543 is a part, would begin to put families on the path toward economic stability
and begin to create the needed foundations for young keiki and families to thrive."
April 17, 2019
Legislature Provides $2.3M in Support for Community College Students
In recent years, paying for a college education has become too expensive for many people,
and students who are at an economic disadvantage are disproportionately affected. To offset
costs for tuition and basic needs, state lawmakers have passed two bills appropriating more
than $2.3 million in state funds to help our young people achieve their dream of a college
degree.
The first bill is SB316 SD2 HD2 - Hawaii Community College Promise Program.
This bill provides $1.4 million ($700,000 for each of the next two fiscal years) to cover
community college tuition for eligible students once all other federal aid and public and
private scholarships are exhausted. The bill also requires the University of Hawaii to
collect data on how well the Promise Program directly increases the likelihood that a
recipient attends college and completes a degree program.
Rep. Justin H. Woodson (Kahului, Pu'unene, Old Sand Hills, Maui Lani), Chair of the House Lower
& Higher Education Committee, said the Hawai'i Promise Program has helped more than 1,500
community college students since it began in 2017.
"The Legislature wants to ensure that as much of these funds as possible go to students who may
not otherwise have attended college, and that the scholarship is effective in helping students
complete a degree program," said Rep. Woodson. "If you want to invest in yourself, then we at
the Legislature want to invest in you."
The second bill is SB50 SD2 HD1 - Hawai'i Nutrition Employment and Training Program (HINET).
This bill appropriates $910,000 ($455,000 for each of the next two fiscal years) to continue
the HINET program and hire seven full-time instructional and student support positions.
HINET is a workforce and education training program offered to students who receive or are
eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and are enrolled at least
part-time at a UH community college in an approved program.
HINET helps students cover the cost of food, transportation, books, and necessary tools.
HINET staff work with students one-on-one to address their needs and goals, and match them
with training.
Sen. Donna Mercado Kim (Kapalama, 'Alewa, Kalihi Valley, Ft. Shafter, Moanalua Gardens & Valley,
portions of Halawa and 'Aiea) said the HINET program began in 2015 and is a partnership between
the state Department of Human Services and the University of Hawaii's community colleges.
"These bills attest to the Legislature's focus on education and the future by not only helping
our students with their tuition, but by helping them not have to worry if they are going to be
able to feed themselves, if they are going to be able to afford their textbooks, and how they
are going to get to campus on time," said Kim, chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee.
"These two measures work together to bring support the whole student so they can be successful
in achieving their educational dreams."
Bernadette Garrett, who will soon graduate from Windward Community College, said the HINET
program's support has changed her life.
"I'm so thankful. This program helped me be able to choose education over just working. To pay
for my textbooks and other needs," Garrett said. "The HINET program gave me the motivation and
confidence to ensure that as a first-generation Native Hawaiian college student I can continue
on the path that my kupuna, my mother, set out for me."
Rep. Woodson said statistics from the HINET Program found that 72% of the participants returned
for their next academic year, compared to 54% of all UH community college students.
"About 58% of the participants are Native Hawaiian," said Woodson. "As of February, the program
has had 543 enrollees and more than 200 University of Hawai?i Community College students are
receiving assistance. About 140 enrollees completed a two-year program and are employed or
transferred to a four-year campus."
Both bills now advance to Governor David Ige for approval or veto.
July 12, 2018
Rep. Woodson Supports Kahului Civic Center Mixed-Use Project
Representative Justin H. Woodson of Maui says the recent approval of the Kahului Civic Center
Mixed-Use Project and multi-family rental housing units by the Hawaii Housing Finance and
Development Corporation Board of Directors is a positive move toward providing more affordable housing.
"This is a good first step to provide much needed affordable housing in Central Maui," said Rep. Woodson
whose district covers Kahului, Puunene, Old Sand Hills and Maui Lani. "I greatly support the Board's
approval and look forward to working with governmental agencies to bring more affordable for sale and
rental units back to Maui."
The HHFDC has approved a Memorandum of Understanding, ground lease, Right-of-Entry, and budget for the
Kahului Civic Center project, which includes a new Maui Bus hub and affordable rental housing units in
Central Maui.
Earlier this year the legislature approved $2.5 million for the plans, land acquisition, design, and
construction for the project. The project will include the Maui Bus hub which will replace the current
transit hub at Queen Kaahumanu Center. The Maui Department of Transportation is required to vacate
the current hub by Jan. 31, 2020.
The Board also approved $1.5 million from the Dwelling Unit Revolving Funds to be used for multi-family
affordable rental housing units for families at or below 60% of the US Department of Housing and Urban
Development median income.
March 29, 2017
House approves $31.2 million for Central Maui CIP
Rep. Woodson and Maui delegation spearhead coordinated effort for Valley Isle initiatives; Woodson's UH Promise Program bill moves to the Senate
Honolulu, Hawaii - As part of the current state budget proposal, the House approved $31.2 million for capital improvement projects for Kahului Elementary School, Maui Waena Intermediate School, Kahului Airport, and Kahului Harbor.
"The Maui delegation and I worked hard to gradually upgrade and improve facilities throughout Central Maui," said Representative Justin Woodson (Kahului, Pu'unene, Old Sand Hills, Maui Lani). "We're making good progress thus far."
Among the appropriations, about $1.5 million will go to the two remaining District 9 schools in need of air conditioning units - Kahului Elementary School and Maui Waena Intermediate School. "These funds will bring us closer to our heat abatement goals here in Maui," said Woodson.
Nearly $29.6 million will go toward renovations at Kahului Airport. The funds are designated for holdroom and gate construction and improvements.
"The updated facilities will enhance everyone's experiences using the airport and hopefully, encourage return visitors," said Woodson. An additional $150,000 in funding was also provided for the purchase of a portable bathroom complex for Kahului Harbor.
Kahului Elementary School Plans and designs for air conditioning units; ground and site improvements; equipment and appurtenances. $700,000
Maui Waena Intermedia School Plans and designs for air conditioning units; ground and site improvements; equipment and appurtenances. 800,000
Kahului Airport Design and construction for holdroom and gate improvements and other related improvements. 29,573,000
Kahului Harbor Equipment for the purchase of a large portable bathroom complex to service the harbor. 150,000
TOTAL $31,223,000
In addition to CIP funding, on March 9, the House of Representatives crossed over House Bill (HB) 1594, the Hawaii Promise Program, to the Senate. Woodson introduced the bill, which received the support of all 51 representatives.
The Hawaii Promise Program would help students who qualify to have their remaining unmet financial aid paid through state funds, allowing them to attend college for free.
While David Governor Ige, in his State of the State address, announced that he would support a program to provide two years of free tuition, HB 1594 would extend the support to four years.
"There is no better promise we can make to our young people than that they will get the chance to receive career or technical training and education," said Woodson. "Giving students a helping hand through financial aid is one of the most important bills the legislature can pass this session."
July 1, 2013
MAUI LAWMAKERS PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC SIGNING OF BILL
Wailea, Maui - Joined by a delegation of Maui lawmakers and community groups, Governor Abercrombie this morning signed into law House Bill 1424, which authorizes the Department of Land and Natural Resources to utilize an appropriation of $20 million for the purchase and acquisition of land parcels at Lipoa Point.
Maui House legislators participating in the public signing ceremony today included Speaker Joseph M. Souki, Representatives Angus McKelvey, Mele Carroll, Kaniela Ing, and Justin Woodson.
Other measures signed into law this morning include:
SB498 which appropriates $600,000 for the establishment of a Maalaea-based special emergency medical response vehicle unit to service the island of Maui on a twenty-four hour, seven-days a week basis. This will supplement the two ambulances already servicing Maui Island and will directly impact the health of Maui residents for the better.
SB1412 shall require the Department of Land and Natural Resources to accommodate native Hawaiian canoes for cultural and education purposes at small boat harbors across the State.
HB1328 will increase the Kaho'olawe Island Reserve Commission's purchasing flexibility by making permanent the exemption for the procurement of food or fuel products.
June 21, 2013
Capital Improvement Projects: Central Maui Middle Schools receive $500,000
Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced the release of more than $134.7 million for capital improvement projects (CIPs), identified by members of the state Legislature, that will improve Hawaii's public school facilities while enhancing economic conditions.
"It gives me great satisfaction to share with you that my Administration is releasing the following CIP funds for work in your District: $500,000 has been allocated to Central Maui Middle Schools, Maui." Governor Abercrombie said. "The improvements are an investment in our keiki and our economy. Capital improvement projects like these across the state are contributing to Hawaii's strong economy and our improved state unemployment rate, which declined to 4.7 percent in May."
Funds for Central Maui Middle Schools will be used to implement planning for a new school that will accommodate the population growth in Central Maui. According to the Department of Education, schools in the area are already over capacity.
As a condition for developing a housing project in Central Maui, the developer has set aside space for this new school (no funds to purchase land will be needed).
June 20, 2013
Capital Improvement Projects: Kahului Airport and Kahului Harbor
Throughout the 2013 Legislative Session Representative Justin Woodson has worked diligently for the people of Maui. As a member of the Finance Committee, Representative Woodson was able to help secure funding for the development of Maui's two most imperative forms of freight transportation, the Kahului Airport and the Kahului Harbor. He was also able to assist in receiving the Department of Transportation's full request of $50 Million dollars for the Kahului Airport and $6 Million dollars for the Kahului Harbor.
These funds will be used for the Kahului Airport for land acquisition and much needed renovations. Kahului Airport experiences over 5.3 million passenger arrivals and departures a year. With such a large influx of visitors and Kamaaiana traveling interisland, development is essential for the continued operation of the facility. The most prominent improvement the airport is expected to receive will be a secondary access road from Hana Highway that will bring drivers directly to the terminal. The land acquisition will also provide room to develop rental car facilities.
Kahului Harbor is one of ten commercial harbors within the State of Hawaii. It is Maui's only deep draft commercial harbor and is the third busiest in the state system. Most goods used by Maui residents and visitors arrive through the Kahului Harbor. The Department of Transportation projects that due to limited land capacity the Harbor will not be able to keep up with the demand of goods necessary. In light of this information and ongoing communication between Representative Justin Woodson and the Department of Transportation, the 2013 Legislature found it necessary to appropriate funds in the amount of $6 million dollars. These funds will be used for improvements to provide safer and more efficient operations at Kahului harbor.