The superintendent of Hawaii’s Catholic schools and the executive director of the Hawaii Catholic Conference have come out in favor of a ballot measure in the Nov. 4 Hawaii general election that would amend Article X, Section 1 of the Hawaii State Constitution to permit the appropriation of public funds for private early childhood education programs, even though Catholic schools might not benefit.
The ballot measure reads: “Shall the appropriation of public funds be permitted for the support or benefit of private early childhood education programs, as provided by law, to help the State meet its goal of providing an early learning system for the children of Hawaii?”
In their June 13 statement supporting the measure, Catholic Conference director Deacon Walter Yoshimitsu and superintendent Michael Rockers did express “concerns” that acceptance of public funds by faith-based preschools could require them to compromise their religious curriculums.
“We are very concerned about the possibility that State funding may restrict our own emphasis on our faith permeating all aspects of the curriculum,” they said. “Under such circumstances our own schools could not accept such funding.”
Hawaii has about 25 Catholic preschools and early learning centers, both standalone and connected to parish and private grade schools.
But Yoshimitsu and Rockers said they support the measure even if Catholic schools might not be able to participate.
“Providing quality early learning experiences for our keiki in Hawaii is an important element to their later success in school and life,” they said. “For this reason, the Hawaii Catholic Conference and the Hawaii Catholic Schools Office support the recent movement toward a private-public partnership to provide non- compulsory quality preschool education in Hawaii.”
As a religious non-profit organization, the church is not permitted to support political parties or candidates, but it can support or oppose issues and ballot measures to amend the constitution.