Gov. Linda Lingle and the Hawai'i State Teachers Association have moved closer to a new contract that involves furloughs for public school teachers to help the state reduce labor costs.

The governor and the union would not publicly discuss the details of the contract proposal yesterday, but sources familiar with the negotiations said it involves 17 furlough days a year for teachers on 10-month schedules and 21 furlough days a year for teachers who work year-round. The contract would take effect in October, three months after the fiscal year started in July, so furlough days this year would be more concentrated.

The union, which represents more than 13,000 teachers, announced yesterday that it had reached a tentative agreement with the state Department of Education and the state Board of Education and was waiting for the governor to sign off on the deal. The union informed its members of a possible deal on Sunday through its Web site.

If the Lingle administration and the HSTA do reach a deal, it would be the first break in a stalemate this year between the state and the four public-sector labor unions. The state is in binding arbitration with the Hawai'i Government Employees Association and the United Public Workers' public safety unit. The state is in contract talks with other UPW units and the University of Hawai'i Professional Assembly.

Under state labor law, the governor has three votes on new contracts for teachers, while the school board has two votes and the schools superintendent has one vote. The process is structured so that the governor must get the vote of at least one educator.

Lingle has no authority to order furloughs for teachers because public-school policy is set by the independent school board. But the governor has imposed spending restrictions on public schools to reduce costs and help close an estimated $884 million budget deficit through June 2011.

Educators had been concerned about the potential impact of furloughs and spending restrictions on classroom instruction. Teachers on 10-month schedules work 190 days a year, including 180 days spent with students in the classroom.

The school board in July agreed to $227 million in budget cuts, including $117 million from potential labor savings pending contract talks.

FURLOUGH IMPACT

Garrett Toguchi, the school board chairman, said he worries about the effect of furloughs at schools with a higher proportion of students from low-income families or who are still learning English. He said those schools often have extra staff assigned to work with students who have special needs.

"I definitely see those schools being impacted more adversely than schools in the more affluent areas," Toguchi said.

Sources spoke about the contract proposal anonymously because the negotiations are supposed to be confidential.

"I appreciate the department and Board of Education taking the lead in these negotiations, in coordination with my negotiation team, to work toward reaching an agreement with the HSTA that is in the best interest of teachers, our students and the general public, and that recognizes our growing budget shortfall," Lingle said in a statement.

"My negotiation team, including the budget director and the attorney general, are currently reviewing the proposed contract and I hope to reach a decision soon. I appreciate the public's patience as we continue dealing with a widening budget deficit while trying to make certain we maintain the highest quality education possible under the circumstances."

Wil Okabe, the HSTA's president, said in a statement that, "HSTA, the Department of Education and Board of Education have made significant strides in negotiating a contract for public school teachers.

"HSTA shared a preliminary settlement with its board on Sunday; however, the contract is pending as HSTA, the DOE and BOE await the governor's approval. We will share details of the tentative settlement as soon as there are further substantive developments."