U.S. Dept. of Education to extend funding for Native Hawaiian programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. (HawaiiNewsNow) – The process of extending millions in federal funding for Native Hawaiian education programs is underway.

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On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education officially began the process of extending the $46 million in federal funding for another year.

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, helped secure the money by working with Education Secretary Linda McMahon last month.

Schatz serves as the vice chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“I’m grateful to Secretary McMahon for working with us to protect this funding and will continue working every day to make sure Hawaii gets its fair share of federal dollars,” Schatz said.

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The funding will be used to sustain 60 early childhood education sites across Hawaii and to support other critical education programs.

Some of the money will go toward initiatives that serve more than 3,000 Hawaii families, supporting them in several ways, including home visiting for children under five years old, workforce development for parents, and Hawaiian language immersion programs.

“This is good news for Hawaii,” Schatz said. “This money helps thousands of young kids develop learning skills and gives local families more affordable child care options.”

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Click to read the Education Department’s proposed funding extension.