Legislators questioned Toguchi on the budget and ways to work around the teacher furloughs.
Toguchi said he would ask the school board to increase user fees for school services and activities to help raise revenue.
Meanwhile, Sen. Fred Hemmings asked why education cuts could not have been made to the Department of Education bureaucracy, instead of the classroom. He also urged a management audit of the DOE.
Toguchi said it would take about $85 million in new money to offset the 17 furlough days this school year. However, he said schools that opt for exemptions to increase classroom time or covert waiver days could reduce furloughs soon.
Sen. Mike Gabbard suggested an exemption process could buy time until lawmakers return in regular session in January. But parents in the audience who want a special session grumbled "no."
Sen. Clarence Nishihara asked why increasing classroom instruction time or using waiver days were not considered earlier as alternatives to the furlough days. Toguchi said that he was not in on contract talks with the Hawaii State Teachers Association. The exception process, he said, is an example of local control over schools.
Kim Coco Iwamoto, a BOE member, said lawmakers allowed a GET increase for the Honolulu rail-transit project and could do the same for education.

Today was the second of the "furlough Fridays" for public schools. But the crowd at the hearing was sparse. The hearing lasted more than three hours. You can catch a replay of the hearing on our Web site.