Public pressure prompts the Board of Education to reject proposed cuts to the Learning Center program

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Facing public pressure, the Board of Education has decided not to cut funding for Learning Center programs. Student advocates are celebrating victory after a last-minute campaign.

Last night, Mililani High School art students watched themselves on the news fighting to save statewide Learning Centersthat help pay for extracurricular theater, robotics, agriculture and other programs.

On Thursday, they rode school buses downtown to testify ahead of a BOE vote on a proposal that would cut $1.7 million from the Department of Education’s budget for 29 learning centers.

“We are not just numbers on a piece of paper. We make an impact on society and that’s what we’re here for,” said Teah Vaoifi, a student at Mililani High School.

State Rep. Amy Perruso called the proposed budget cuts “misguided” and “irresponsible.”

After widespread criticism, board members decided not to make the cuts, saying the proposal was part of an effort to provide greater control over spending at the school level.

“The board does not believe this is the right time to change the way Learning Centers are funded,” said Roy Takumi, chairman of the Board of Education.

Takumi also said that the BOE generally believes that schools themselves should decide the economic, fiscal and academic fate of each school.

For most of the students who gathered in the BOE boardroom, it was their first experience testifying before a government board.

“This is my first time being in this building and doing something like this. I think it’s really cool,” said Alexa Kamalani Grean, a student at Mililani High School.

“Our message is that learning center programs are truly an integral part of our success and our high school community,” said Jayce Hasegawa, a student at Mililani High School.

This group says art, robotics and other beloved programs have been preserved for now, providing a lesson in spreading ideas beyond the classroom.