Gov. David Ige signed five bills into law related to education on Thursday, allocating more than $210 million in funds to the state Department of Education to increase services for students.
“Collectively, these measures empower our public schools, focus on workforce development, and ensure that schools have the resources to provide a healthy and safe learning environment,” Ige said during the singing ceremony. “These measures that I will be signing today support our students from pre-kindergarten to post high school.”
House Bill 2000 appropriates $200 million to create public pre-K facilities. The funds will assist with the construction of new school facilities as well as the renovation, improvement and expansion of existing schools. The bill was the first assignment for the newly formed School Facilities Authority.
“This bill is the largest investment in public pre-K in the history of the state of Hawaii,” Ige said.
Senate Bill 2182 allocates $200,000 to establish a school garden coordinator position within the DOE to accelerate garden and farm-based education for public school students.
The bill will support the implementation of Act 175, the Hawaii Farm to School program, signed into law in 2021. The act moved the Hawaii Farm to School Program out of the Department of Agriculture and into the Department of Education, establishing a goal that 30% of food served in public schools consist of locally sourced products by 2030.
The third bill, SB 2818 establishes a summer learning coordinator position that will address all school summer programs within the DOE, appropriating $125,000 for the position.
The bill will assist with learning loss experienced by students during the pandemic.
“This summer, we have more students in the classroom for summer learning than ever before,” said Superintendent Keith Hayashi at the signing. “Our summer learning opportunities have been more crucial than ever as we focus on evaluating and addressing students’ academic needs.”
SB 2862 provides $10 million to install air-conditioning units for public school classrooms.
“Providing the best learning environment can help our students to do their best in the classroom,” said Ige, adding the bill will help assist with environmental challenges related to climate change and global warming.
The final bill, HB 1561, establishes an adult workforce readiness program, which will be issued by public schools as well as several Community Schools for Adults.
“It’s important for us to develop the functionality of things like our adult education program so that those individuals can also develop those skillsets to contribute to their families,” said state Rep. Justin Woodson, who introduced the bill. “We need to meet kids where they are at, and we know they thrive in these spaces.”
The DOE will coordinate with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations as well as the Department of Human Services to create contracts with local industry employers to develop and implement the workforce readiness program.
All five bills go into effect immediately.
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com.