STATE OF HAWAII
BOARD OF EDUCATION
SPECIAL MEETING

MINUTES

Queen Liliuokalani Building
1390 Miller Street, Room 404
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Thursday, June 1, 2023

PRESENT:
Bruce Voss, Chairperson
Kaimana Barcarse, Vice Chairperson
Bill Arakaki
Shanty Asher
Lynn Fallin
Lauren Moriarty
Kili Namauʻu

EXCUSED:
Ken Kuraya
Makana McClellan

ALSO, PRESENT:
Captain Wouldiam Palmer, Military Representative
Wayne Guevara, Principal, Moanalua Middle School
Tammi Oyadomari-Chun, Deputy Superintendent of Strategy, Department of Education
Ken Kakesako, Director, Policy, Innovation, Planning and Evaluation Branch, Department of Education
Keith Hayashi, Superintendent, Department of Education
Alison Kunishige, Executive Director
Kenyon Tam, Board Analyst
Regina Pascua, Executive Secretary
Lady Garrett, Secretary




I. Call to Order

Board Chairperson Bruce Voss called the Board of Education (“Board”) Special Meeting to order at 1:30 p.m. Board Chairperson Voss, Board Vice Chairperson Kaimana Barcarse, and Board Members Bill Arakaki, Shanty Asher, Lynn Fallin, Lauren Moriarty, and Kili Namauʻu were present.


II. Action Items

Board Chairperson Voss called for public testimony on this agenda item.

Susan Pcola-Davis, PTSA, testified that the Department of Education (“Department”) set new salaries for the complex area superintendents, suggested that the Board share the methodology with unions for the next round of collective bargaining and that the superintendent should continue to use the same content and form for complex area superintendents’ (“CAS”) performance reviews.

Board members received written testimony before the meeting. (A listing of the people who submitted written testimony before the meeting is included at the end of these minutes.)

Board Vice Chairperson and Human Resources Committee Chairperson Barcarse moved, on behalf of the Human Resources Committee, to approve the recommended salary adjustments for the CAS as stated in Attachment A of Keith Hayashi’s, Superintendent, memorandum dated June 1, 2023, retroactively effective as of July 1, 2022, or the appointment date of the CAS, whichever is most recent.

Board Chairperson Voss called for a roll call vote on the motion. The motion carried unanimously with all members present voting aye (Board Vice Chairperson Barcarse and Board Members Arakaki, Asher, Fallin, McClellan, Moriarty, and Namauʻu).

ACTION: Motion to approve the recommended salary adjustments for the CAS as stated in Attachment A of Hayashi’s memorandum dated June 1, 2023, retroactively effective as of July 1, 2022, or the appointment date of the CAS, whichever is most recent (Human Resources Committee/no second required). The motion carried unanimously with all members present voting aye.


Board Chairperson Voss called for public testimony on this agenda item.

Wayne Guevara, Principal, Moanalua Middle School, testified in support of the waiver request for Moanalua Middle School and stated that he was available to answer any questions about the proposals submitted.

Board Chairperson Voss called on Board Member Arakaki to present the SCC Exception Review Committee’s (“Exception Review Committee”) recommendations regarding the School Community Council (“SCC”) requests for exceptions to collective bargaining agreements, statutory waivers, and waivers of Board policy for School Year 2023-2024 for Moanalua Middle School and Webling Elementary School.

Board Member Arakaki, as one of the Board Waiver Review Representative on the Exception Review Committee, recommended approval of the SCC requests for Moanalua Middle School and Webling Elementary School. He shared that Moanalua Middle School submitted three requests for two waiver days and teaching conditions. Board Member Arakaki explained that Webling Elementary School requested waiver days for professional development, which are integral to student achievement and academic goals. He noted that the Moanalua Middle School waiver includes a recommendation from the Western Association of Colleges and Schools to assist with extended time to analyze student data, creating a school wide plan to implement general learner outcomes, develop Tier 1 strategies to align to the Hawaii Multi-Tiered System of Support, and flexibility to conduct student led conferences. Board Member Arakaki clarified that due to an oversight the following requests did not get included in the previous submission.

Board Vice Chairperson Barcarse moved to approve the SCC requests for waivers from collective bargaining agreement provisions, statutory provisions, and Board policies for Moanalua Middle School and Webling Elementary School, as described in Board Member Arakaki and Board Waiver Review Representative Cara Tanimura’s memorandum dated June 1, 2023. Board Member Asher seconded.

Board Member Moriarty asked Guevara to detail any options, other than a waiver, that the school considered to avoid affecting student instruction days. Guevara replied that if the school did not request a waiver then the school would need to include this work during the course of the school day or require staff stipends and hiring substitute teachers to avoid losing instruction.

Board Chairperson Voss asked for an explanation on why the Board considers school waiver requests and the intended purpose of this process.

Tammi Oyadomari-Chun, Deputy Superintendent of Strategy, shared that SCC requests for exemptions are to provide schools with flexibility on a case-by-case basis to implement innovations or priorities. She stated that the waivers requested by Moanalua Middle School and Webling Elementary are common. Oyadomari-Chun clarified that schools schedule professional development and parent-teacher conferences to maximize impact on instruction, even if it means taking time that would otherwise be instructional days. She explained that things like the number of instructional days, days and hours teachers work, and the calendar are set by Board policy or statute. Oyadomari-Chun stated that when flexibility is requested, the school must go through the SCC waiver process.

Board Chairperson Voss called for a roll call vote on the motion. The motion carried unanimously with all members present voting aye (Board Vice Chairperson Barcarse and Board Members Arakaki, Asher, Fallin, McClellan, Moriarty, and Namauʻu).

ACTION: Motion to approve the SCC requests for waivers from collective bargaining agreement provisions, statutory provisions, and Board policies for Moanalua Middle School and Webling Elementary School, as described in Board Member Arakaki and Tanimura’s memorandum dated June 1, 2023 (Barcarse/Asher). The motion carried unanimously with all members present voting aye.


Board Chairperson Voss called for public testimony on this agenda item. No one testified at this time.

Board Chairperson Voss called on Oyadomari-Chun to present the Department’s recommendation on the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school calendars.

Oyadomari-Chun shared that the Department likes to maintain calendars at least three years out for planning purposes. She explained that, by law, students have 180 days of instruction and collective bargaining agreements set the number of days that teachers work. Oyadomari-Chun stated that five day weeks and the 180 days of instruction drives calendar design. She shared that Department provided the proposed calendars to the various unions through the consult and confer process. Oyadomari-Chun also requested that the Department be delegated authority to make technical, non-substantive changes to align with the newly ratified collective bargaining agreement, which would not change the dates on the calendar, but would include the addition of a notation.

Board Vice Chairperson Barcarse moved to approve the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school calendars attached to Hayashi’s memorandum dated June 1, 2023. Board Member Asher seconded.

Board Member Moriarty expressed appreciation for the clear criteria that guided the proposed calendar. She referenced the Department’s arguments against the recommendation, which cites none, and stated that the approach suggests a lack of consultation with those who have a different point of view or lack of imagination. Board Member Moriarty shared some possible arguments against the recommendation, including potential increased electricity costs during hotter months and ending the first semester before winter break.

Oyadomari-Chun explained that the school year used to start later, but since that time the law was changed to add instructional days, so the school year needs to start earlier. She also explained that the calendars are designed to finish the first semester before winter break to align with college schedules, which would allow students to participate in dual credit and early college programs . Oyadomari-Chun also stated that the feedback the Department received was overwhelmingly in favor of maintaining the fall break.

Board Member Moriarty asked if the Department had received any other feedback regarding the calendars. Kakesako replied that the Department received feedback from the unions. Oyadomari-Chun stated that in the past the unions had many suggestions regarding the calendar and over the years people have settled into the rhythm of the current school calendar.

Board Member Moriarty asked about the timing of spring break. Oyadomari-Chun replied that spring break occurs between the third and fourth quarters and depending on the year and dates of holidays, can end up with spring break followed by weeks with holidays that are not ideal.

Board Chairperson Voss asked why there is a one week fall break at the beginning of the school year. Oyadomari-Chun replied that the fall break is after the end of the first quarter and that the Department had considered eliminating the fall break and starting the school year later, but that was not generally agreed upon. Board Chairperson Voss asked Hayashi for his input. Hayashi replied that in his experience as a principal, the one-week break after the first quarter allows teachers to pace their standards and curriculum. He stated that pacing in the first quarter is done so that if there are major assessments that need to be done, they are done the week before fall break.. Hayashi detailed that teaching is rigorous at the start of the school year because there will be a hard push to get learning going, which is followed by a one week break and another hard push when the second quarter starts.

Board Chairperson Voss requested clarification on the technical, non-substantive changes that the Department is requesting. Oyadomari-Chun clarified that the collective bargaining agreement now includes 21 hours of professional development, which the calendar needs to reflect as a notation, which the union requested, even though they are not scheduled days on the calendar

Board Vice Chairperson Barcarse moved to amend the main motion to include a delegation of authority to the Department to make non-substantive technical changes to the school calendars to align with collective bargaining agreements. Board Member Arakaki seconded.

Board Chairperson Voss called for a roll call vote on the secondary motion. The motion carried unanimously with all members present voting aye (Board Vice Chairperson Barcarse and Board Members Arakaki, Asher, Fallin, Moriarty, and Namauʻu).

Board Chairperson Voss called for a roll call vote on the amended main motion. The motion carried unanimously with all members present voting aye (Board Vice Chairperson Barcarse and Board Members Arakaki, Asher, Fallin, Moriarty, and Namauʻu).

ACTION: Motion to approve the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school calendars attached to Hayashi’s memorandum dated June 1, 2023, and to delegate authority to the Department to make non-substantive technical changes to the school calendars to align with collective bargaining agreements. The motion carried unanimously with all members present voting aye.


III. Adjournment

Board Chairperson Voss adjourned the meeting at 2:07 p.m.

List of the people who submitted written testimony before the meeting


NAME
Organization
Agenda Item
C. BurghardtII.C. Board Action on Department of Education’s multi-year school calendar (2025-2026 and 2026-2027)
Susan Pcola-DavisIII.A. Board Action on Human Resources Committee recommendations concerning compensation adjustments for CAS of Aiea-Moanalua-Radford, Baldwin-Kekaulike-Kulanihakoi-Maui, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kahuku, Farrington-Kalani-Kaiser, Hana-Lahaina-Lanai-Molokai, Hilo-Waiakea, Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena, Kailua-Kalaheo, Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt, Kau-Keaau-Pahoa, Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua, Pearl City-Waipahu Complex Areas; III.B. Board Action on SCC requests for exceptions to collective bargaining agreements, statutory
Cheri NakamuraIII.A. Board Action on Human Resources Committee recommendations concerning compensation adjustments for CAS of Aiea-Moanalua-Radford, Baldwin-Kekaulike-Kulanihakoi-Maui, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kahuku, Farrington-Kalani-Kaiser, Hana-Lahaina-Lanai-Molokai, Hilo-Waiakea, Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena, Kailua-Kalaheo, Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt, Kau-Keaau-Pahoa, Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua, Pearl City-Waipahu Complex Areas
Ted MuraIII.A. Board Action on Human Resources Committee recommendations concerning compensation adjustments for CAS of Aiea-Moanalua-Radford, Baldwin-Kekaulike-Kulanihakoi-Maui, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kahuku, Farrington-Kalani-Kaiser, Hana-Lahaina-Lanai-Molokai, Hilo-Waiakea, Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena, Kailua-Kalaheo, Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt, Kau-Keaau-Pahoa, Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua, Pearl City-Waipahu Complex Areas
Kim Sanders
Ewa Makai Middle School, Principal
III.A. Board Action on Human Resources Committee recommendations concerning compensation adjustments for CAS of Aiea-Moanalua-Radford, Baldwin-Kekaulike-Kulanihakoi-Maui, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kahuku, Farrington-Kalani-Kaiser, Hana-Lahaina-Lanai-Molokai, Hilo-Waiakea, Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena, Kailua-Kalaheo, Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt, Kau-Keaau-Pahoa, Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua, Pearl City-Waipahu Complex Areas
Helen Sanpei
McKinley School for Adults, Principal
III.A. Board Action on Human Resources Committee recommendations concerning compensation adjustments for CAS of Aiea-Moanalua-Radford, Baldwin-Kekaulike-Kulanihakoi-Maui, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kahuku, Farrington-Kalani-Kaiser, Hana-Lahaina-Lanai-Molokai, Hilo-Waiakea, Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena, Kailua-Kalaheo, Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt, Kau-Keaau-Pahoa, Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua, Pearl City-Waipahu Complex Areas
Laurie Luczak
Stevenson Middle School, Principal
III.A. Board Action on Human Resources Committee recommendations concerning compensation adjustments for CAS of Aiea-Moanalua-Radford, Baldwin-Kekaulike-Kulanihakoi-Maui, Campbell-Kapolei, Castle-Kahuku, Farrington-Kalani-Kaiser, Hana-Lahaina-Lanai-Molokai, Hilo-Waiakea, Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena, Kailua-Kalaheo, Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt, Kau-Keaau-Pahoa, Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua, Pearl City-Waipahu Complex Areas