Board of Education reinstates cuts to school learning centers

Learning centers in middle and high schools will likely retain their funding and staff after hundreds of students and teachers protested the Department of Education’s proposal to cut funding for these programs next year.

The Board of Education voted Thursday to retain approximately $2 million for learning centers in the Department of Education’s 2025-2027 budget. The centers provide after-school and weekend programs for students across the state interested in STEM, performing arts, agriculture and other subjects.

The state currently provides each center with an annual budget of $17,000 and a part-time coordinator.

The Department of Education’s original operating budget proposal of more than $2 billion called for eliminating learning center budgets next year and cutting their staff positions in 2026. The proposal drew more than 1,000 pages of written testimony from teachers, alumni and parents who argued that the centers needed continued government investment to adequately serve students.

“Without the budget and half the staff time provided by the state, maintaining our learning center will place additional pressure on our school to find funding to keep these resources active,” wrote Kathy Kealoha, who runs Waianae High School’s marine science center.

The Ministry of Education initially said schools would be responsible for funding their learning centers through their own budgets, which are largely based on student enrollment. But many advocates said schools don’t have additional money to support their learning centers and staff, and board members agreed Thursday to maintain state support for the programs.

The Department of Education’s budget still includes significant cuts to other programs, including $200,000 for Title IX tuition and $5.8 million for services for students with autism. In a recent memo to the BOE, Superintendent Keith Hayashi cited instructions from state leaders that departments should maintain current funding levels rather than request additional resources from lawmakers.

“The Department is aware of the financial challenges facing the State as we prepare for fiscal years 2025-2027 and recognizes the importance of making more efficient use of current resources,” the department said in a budget justification document released earlier this month. “During legislative hearings, we were asked to look inside to fund some of our budget requests.”

In remarks at Thursday’s meeting, Rep. Della Au Belatti praised the Bank of England for continuing to fund learning centers but called on school leaders to push for more state funding for education.

“We really need the council to look at these recommendations and present the Legislature with a budget that will ensure all of our children thrive,” she said.

Civil Beat’s education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy..