LIHU‘E — A federal funding mechanism that provides money for elementary and secondary education is projected to deliver more than $3 million to the County of Kaua‘i.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) announced Monday that K-12 schools in Hawai‘i will receive an estimated $73 million in new federal funding for the 2023-24 school year. Of that total, the County of Kaua‘i will get $3,107,773.
The money will be used to provide more academic help for students in low-income communities by hiring more educators, supporting teacher professional development, new technology and other academic programs.
“Hawai‘i public schools are getting a big boost in federal funding,” said Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a statement on Monday. “This new money will help hire more teachers and offer more academic support programs for students in need.”
Funding is going directly to Title I schools, where a disproportionate number of students live in poverty, and will benefit nearly 85,000 students in Hawai‘i.
Title I funding, which is authorized under the Title I Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is the largest source of federal money for elementary and secondary education in the United States.
The funding is used to provide financial assistance to school districts for services that “improve the teaching and learning of children at risk of not meeting academic achievement requirements,” according to the senator’s office.
Local agencies in Hawai‘i should receive the Title I money by July 1. The City and County of Honolulu will get the largest share at $46.77 million, followed by the County of Hawai‘i at $15.85 million and the County of Maui at $7.4 million. The total allocation represents a $15 million increase from the previous year.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
