In August, Schatz Urged U.S. Department of Education Not To Delay Release Of Grant Funding, Citing Challenges Caused By COVID-19 Pandemic
Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) announced that Hawai‘i will receive $26,992,923 in new federal funding to support grants under the Native Hawaiian Education Program (NHEP). This federal funding, secured by Senator Schatz through his work on the Senate Appropriations Committee, was awarded to 23 Native Hawaiian educational programs across the state.
“This new federal funding will ensure that Native Hawaiian educational programs have the resources they need in time for the upcoming school year,” said Senator Schatz. “As we work through the appropriations process, I will keep fighting for more resources for the Native Hawaiian community."
The release of these funds comes as schools are preparing to start the 2020-2021 school year. In August, Senator Schatz sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education urging them not to delay the release of this grant funding until late September, as previously announced. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Native Hawaiian education programs have been invaluable for families, and further disruption to these programs would leave many hard pressed to find an alternative option for their children.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Schatz has worked to preserve and expand grant funding for NHEP. While President Donald Trump has sought to zero out funding for these grants, Senator Schatz has fought to protect more than $100 million over the last three fiscal years. In addition, he has garnered bipartisan support to increase annual funding for NHEP each year by $3 million.
These multi-year competitive grants will be used for early childhood education, family engagement, Hawaiian language education, creation of STEM pathways, curriculum and professional development, and more.
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