Lunch Meeting Tuesday (or join by Zoom)

1. 12:00pm - Brian Hallett, Asst Supt for Finance will brief us on what we know now of the impact of federal funding
2. 12:15pm - A student, a teacher, and a parent or two will brief us on the problems Hawaiian immersion pre school Pūnana Leo O Koʻolau and Pū‘ōhala K-12 school is struggling with.

Please join us for lunch at PACT at 1300 Halona St. or on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87827268597

Lunch + 2 kinds of Key Lime Pie the most healthful and the least healthful. Both DELICIOUS, judge for yourself!

IMPORTANT MEETING TOPICS:

1) US Education Budget Votes In July and August

The US House and Senate will vote on the budget. If it is passed as Trump has designed, our Hawaii schools will lose $24M. We want to better understand:

1. When would the cuts come?
2. What will be cut?
3. What can we do to influence congress?
4. What can we do to influence state legislator to fill critical gaps?
5. Can we get help from private industry to support the public school gap?

2) URGENT - Kaiapuni - Hawaiian Immersion Needs (see notes on board meeting below)

There are 165,000 students in our district. There are 1,800 places for Hawaiian Immersion. Are resources supporting families desire for

Hear from a representative from Pūnana Leo o Koʻolau and Pū‘ohala Elementary and Intermediate school on the reduction in class spaces for students and the effects this could bring. See the list of Hawaiian Immersion Schools and Programs within schools at the end of this newsletter.

Shortage of Space for Hawaiian Immersion Preschool? Critical continuity of grades PreK- 12? Inadequate Prioritization?

Tuesday before the BOE meeting, we received a Pū‘ohala parent request that HE‘E support their testimony to the BOE to prevent the closure of one of two pre-school classrooms at Pūnana Leo o Koʻolau for Hawaiian immersion.

The item was not on the BOE agenda, so by BOE policy, it would not be allowed to be discussed and because there would not be enough time for the public to hear and react. I let them know we would explore the issues, but that we would not be ready to testimony on this item on Thursday. I have invited representatives who spoke at today's BOE meeting to our HE‘E meeting on Tuesday.

Many parents attended the BOE meeting supporting this issue. However the board chair made clear that the Sunshine law prevent testimony. Two board members urged the chair to reconsider to let the testifiers speak, though they were cautioned not to ask for specific action which is not permissable under the Sunshine law. At the end of the many moving testimonies, the students, teachers, and family members stood and sang. Click here for the June 19, 2025 Board Meeting Video The testimony begins at the 26 minute point in the BOE meeting video.

BOE Meeting 6/19/25

The rest of the June 19, 2025 Board Meeting

Superintendent's Report

1. National Teacher Hall of Fame- Dr. Pascale Creek Pinner Hilo Int. one of 5 teachers inducted
2. Kailua-Kalaheo use of SBA creative use of assessment resources
3. Award of merit to communication, marketing - attend today, achieve tomorrow, weekly newsletter,
4. Lahaina educator housing - $20M, 47 rental units - 1 and 2 BR homes, 5 Acres, ready by Dec 2025.
5. 11,000 graduates from 46 High Schools
6. 95% of schools (245) are offering summer programs - some funded by legislature.
7. 121 Internships in the BOE and DOE
8. 68 schools are serving free breakfast and lunch open to all students 18 and younger, do not need to be signed up or attend that school. $12B cut to US ED budget "simplified budget" This could cause a $24M cut to HI DOE in EL, migrant, adult education - July house vote, August senate vote.

In addition to the Hawaiian immersion allocation issues and the superintendents report, the state librarian reported on the beautiful new meaningful logo and services for the public to make the summer yet better.

Also, the BOE voted on candidates to fill positions on the charter school board.

Images from Graduations fo 11,000 students from 46 high schools

I

This link takes us to an accurate list of Kaiapuni Hawaiian Immersion Schools. Thank you Yuuko Arikawa-Cross for this good list!

Yuuko has agreed to meet with us in one of our next meeitngs to brief us on the Executive Office on Early Learning progress.

We hope to see you at our in-person meeting on June 24th at PACT at 1300 Halona Street in Kalihi for lunch and Key Lime Pies- or join us by Zoom! Mahalo for all you do!

Deborah

director@heecoalition.org

Deborah Bond-Upson