Additional salary funds released for public charter school teachers

The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association is happy to report that after many months of working with the Hawaiʻi Public Charter School Commission (the commission), State Budget and Finance (B&F), and individual public charter schools, funding for public charter schools (PCS) has been released to cover costs from compression repricing, 21-hours, and shortage differentials.

HSTA worked very hard in the last legislative session to secure separate funding for these costs to ensure charter school teachers would have equal treatment with Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) teachers. The separate funds also prevented added pressures on charter schools to absorb the costs in their existing budgets.

Securing the release of appropriations for repricing, 21 hours, and shortage differentials was very complex. For many years, the state has emphasized the importance of charter schools sending accurate data on staffing costs for collective bargaining calculations, and many schools would fail to reply. To receive this separate funding, the charter schools must properly account for their teachers’ salaries by accurately reporting to B&F the salary rate and service time for each Bargaining Unit 05 teacher. These data points are critical and will allow us to account for accurate calculations of future collective bargaining increases more accurately and will directly benefit our schools and members.

As of this week, the charter commission reports 17 schools have had their funding released to cover the cost of repricing adjustments, restoration of 21 hours of job-embedded professional development, and, where applicable, shortage differentials.

The schools that have so far received about $1.4 million in funding include: Connections Public Charter School, DreamHouse ʻEwa Beach, Hālau Kū Māna Public Charter School, Hawaiʻi Technology Academy, Innovations Public Charter School, Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo, Ka Waihona o ka Naʻauao PCS, Kapolei Charter School, Kawaikini New Century PCS, Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu Iki LPCS, Kona Pacific Public Charter School, Kua o ka Lā New Century PCS, Mālama Honua Public Charter School, University Laboratory School, Waiʻalae Elementary Public Charter School, Waimea Middle School, and West Hawaiʻi Explorations Academy.

While many of the schools already implemented the salary changes last fall, the funding release will ensure schools can cover the increased pay and compensation.

Unfortunately, several schools still need to update and verify their salary data with B&F and the commission, preventing the release of their funding. The commission and HSTA continue to work with such affected schools. Should you have questions regarding your school’s funding, please contact your school’s director or HSTA UniServ Director.