Hawai'i's teachers union and education officials plan to keep discussing ways this week to return children to school on furlough Fridays, even without representatives from Gov. Linda Lingle's office present.

Negotiations on Lingle's $50 million plan to reopen schools on 27 furlough days this year and next collapsed last week after the Hawaii State Teachers Association rejected her proposal and her team did not make a counteroffer.

Now HSTA, the Board of Education and Department of Education will continue to meet on their own.

The union has said the $50 million could be used to restore the remaining 10 furlough days scheduled for this school year.

Lingle wanted to stretch the money over the next 18 months to cover all the furlough days by asking teachers to give up planning days.