HONOLULU -- Gov. Linda Lingle announced a plan to end furloughs for Hawaii public schools to get them back into the classrooms on Fridays, starting in January.

The governor wants teachers to use 15 non-classroom days to restore teaching lost on furlough Fridays.

Many teachers use Wednesday afternoons for administrative work. Instead, they would teach, and the governor wants to tap the Emergency Budget Reserve, the so-called rainy day fund to pay for 12 days.

"I would say it's very fortunate we saved the money, because it's raining on the kids now. It's a perfect time for the rainy day fund to be used," Lingle said.

It would give extra money to teachers and school workers.

"People who work in schools are going to get more salary than people outside because they're getting restored about 2.5 percent of their salary. So they gain something, they give up something, the students gain everything. It should be adopted and there's no reason for delay," Lingle said.

The furlough Fridays would continue through December, but get students back in class through June 2011.

The plan will need approval from the teachers union, state workers, and state lawmakers.

Reaction to the governor's proposed plan to end teacher furloughs has been mostly positive.

No one disputes the importance of getting students back into the classroom. However, the governor's plan essentially requires some sacrifice from each party involved and it means no one will come out unscathed.

Jo Curran, a parent and spokesperson for Hawaii Education Matters, the nonprofit group that had been lobbying to end teacher furloughs, said this is just what the governor's plan emulates.

"Everyone is having to make some kind of a sacrifice. All we wanted from the beginning was a little bit of compromise," Curran said.

Senate President Colleen Hanabusa said senators have always been open to using some state funds to end furloughs, but they had been waiting for support from Lingle.

"The governor was critical, cause no matter what anybody else did, if you didn't have the governor to make sure the money goes to the (Board of Education) and (Department of Education), we couldn't do anything," Hanabusa said.

Lingle's proposal to take $50 million from the Rainy-Day Fund will come with a cost.

"Fifty million dollars will mean that we have $50 million less for health care, hospital services, adult mental health, child adolescent mental health services. There's no free lunch here," House Finance Chairman Rep. Marcus Oshiro said.

Whether a plan is passed depends on the support of the Department of Education, Board of Education, the teachers and the unions.

If the state buys back the 12 furlough days with rainy day fund money, teachers would only get a 5 percent pay cut instead of almost 8 percent.

"We are pleased that the governor has decided to use the rainy day fund to reduce the number of furlough days. If there ever was a rainy day for Hawaii's public education system, this is it. We believe the governor's proposal represents the kind of viable option we said would be necessary for us to return to the negotiating table. HSTA is committed to finding a solution for resolving the problem of furloughs that will be best for our students and teachers and will improve Hawaii's chances to succeed in the competition for Race to the Top grant funds," Hawaii State Teachers Association President Wil Okabe said in a written statement.

When a special session would be held to pass a bill to stop the furloughs will depends upon how quickly a collective agreement is formed by all parties, especially with the unions.

Hanabusa said she would like to see it done before January.