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Lawmakers press department on cuts to interscholastic programs and fairness in travel funding
Summary
Senators questioned proposed reductions to interscholastic sports and extracurricular programs as cost-saving measures; the commissioner said the department lacks funding but will seek markups and that travel and music instrument needs were largely covered by ARPA purchases.
Senators raised concerns about proposed reductions to interscholastic sports and extracurricular programs during the Department of Education’s budget hearing, arguing such cuts affect retention, scholarships and student engagement.
“How do you justify eliminating programs that impact hundreds of students for such minimal savings?” Senator Milton Potter asked, referring specifically to interscholastic program reductions. Commissioner Deionne Wells Hedrington replied that the department does not want to eliminate programs but lacked sufficient funding to sustain them and that the Legislature’s upcoming budget markups are opportunities to restore priorities.
Senators also pressed whether travel funds are distributed by sport or by league. The commissioner and district superintendents said funding depends on leagues and schedules; interisland competitions and league obligations drive travel decisions. “When it comes to the interisland, it depends on the leagues, it depends on the schedules, and that's how we distribute the money,” Wells said.
On music programs and instruments, district leaders said ARPA funding allowed large instrument purchases and that schools are stocked. “We are stocked with instruments,” Bastia Knight, Synchrony District superintendent, told the committee.
The department said it will consider proposals from less-common sports and extracurricular groups seeking travel funding, but senators asked the department to pursue options to maintain programs that help student retention and development.
No vote occurred; senators asked the department to identify specific restoration opportunities during the budget markup process.
