President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to get rid of the federal Department of Education. He has nominated retired wrestling industry professional and businesswoman Linda McMahon to lead the effort to dismantle the DOE.
Public school Superintendent Keith Hayashi told HPR that 11% of Hawaiʻi's DOE budget is made up of federal funds — about $42 million. Hawaiʻi is also the only state that has a centralized DOE.
HPR talked to Hayashi and retired veteran legislator Roy Takumi, who joined the Hawaiʻi Board of Education as its chairman, about the president-elect's threat to dismantle the federal DOE and what that could mean for the state.
"I'm not saying you have to take it with a grain of salt, but I think you have to prepare for the worst, but hope for the best," Takumi said. "Election promises and actual policy-making are two very different things."
Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but it's unclear if the president-elect will have enough support to make good on his threats to get rid of the federal DOE.
Takumi emphasized that many candidates say things on the campaign trail, but when they get to office, there are checks and balances in place. However, he added that if there are any changes, it will affect the entire system of education — both lower and higher.
For former Waipahu High School Principal Keith Hayashi, the possible dismantling has him worried for those pursuing higher education and obtaining financial support through the Free Application for Student Federal Aid, also known as FAFSA. The federal DOE administers Pell Grants for undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need.
"Being a former high school principal, I know that many of our students count on those resources to help pursue higher education and those other aspirations that they have," Hayashi said.
Hayashi said the Hawaiʻi DOE plans to continue to work with industry partners to allow students to get a sense of what they are interested in.
"We're very fortunate that we have in Hawaiʻi, we have a lot of partners that are committed to providing students with opportunities in the workforce, whether it be through college, through the workforce, or directly in — helping students to earn certificates and such," he said.
There have not been conversations with Hawaiʻi's congressional delegation about the possible tear down of the U.S. DOE. However, U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, will be visiting Maui on Friday to see Lāhainalunā High School and the temporary site for King Kamehameha III Elementary.
"The superintendent will have an opportunity to talk to him and get his insights, because he has a bird's eye view, obviously, working on the Hill. What does he anticipate, what has happened under the Biden administration, but what does he foresee could happen in the Trump administration? I think his insights will be very valuable as we move forward," Takumi said.
BOE chairman Takumi encourages the public to submit testimony for monthly BOE meetings.
"When we get on the board, we're all citizens and residents of the state. Some of us have expertise in education, like former educators, but a lot of us are just community-based people. The more information we get, the more perspectives we get, the better decisions we'll make," he said.
The DOE also has a weekly newsletter that keeps the public informed about the happenings within the department. For more information, click here.
This interview aired on The Conversation on Dec. 2, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
