|
|
Please email me director@heecoalition.org your thoughts on HE‘E support/action/response on these 3 issues addressed below:
- Hawaiian Immersion Preschool space - Pūanana Leo o Ko‘olau Poco at Pū‘ōhala School issues
- Family Resource Centers as a the route to effective family engagement (HOSN)
- Federal and State Funding for Education
| |
Family Engagement and Support - July 8 Meeting Notes
Kat O‘Dell, network coordinator for HOSN (Hawai‘i Ohana Support Network) brought us up to date on the mission and progress of Family Resource Centers. From 4 centers in 2020 to 25 centers now, this is an example of grass roots trust and needs-based support to families.
We all know that when families are engaged with schools and their children's education, the children are more comfortable and their achievement and behavior thrive. Family Resource Centers, such as the one at Waimanalo School I visited with Kat last year, are able to provide space for parents to build relationships to support learning. While many approaches to family engagement do not work, do not really reach the families who could benefit most, HOSN's work helping communities to launch Family Resource Centers is yielding real family engagement.
| |
1. What are Family Resource Centers (FRC)?
A community or school-based welcoming hub of support, services, and opportunities for families that:
– Utilizes a multi-generational approach
– Is strengeths-based, and family centered
– Reflects and is responsive to community needs and interests
– Provides support at no or low cost for participants
| |
2. What do Family Resource Centers do?
– Enhance parenting skills
– Foster the healthy development and well-being of children, youth, families, and communities
– Prevent child abuse and neglect
– Increase school readiness
– Connect families to resources
– Develop parent and community leadership
– Support family economic success
– Partner with community organizations
| |
3. What are the Goals of Family Resource Centers?
– To support families to be strong, healthy, and successful
– To contribute to building a strong and healthy community
– To reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect by building the research-based Strengthening Families Protective Factors
| Hawaiian Immersion Preschool Space | Pū‘ōhala School and Pūanana Leo o Ko‘olau Poco | |
News reports on the Pū‘ōhala School and Pūanana Leo o Ko‘olau Poco press conference - asking for space, not teachers for the fully staffed preschool classes.
Island News
Hawai‘i News Now
| |
Update from Waianuhea Walk
DOE Windward District Castle Complex leadership remains firm on their decision to take the two rooms. (One Pūanana Leo preschool classroom and one classroom offered to the school from the Waena (middle school) to enable the school to permit Pūanana Leo preschool to keep both classrooms. The room was reallocated by the school, not made available as the 2nd preschool room.) C5 KUMU Here is the letter from Papa 2 to DOE leadership about not using the space taken from Pūnana Leo.
PETITION - With over 2400 signatures (!!!) the support for classroom space for Pūnana Leo O Koʻolau at Pūʻōhala and for a full site for Ke Kula Kaiapuni O Pūʻōhala is strong.
LETTERS OF SUPPORT - Here are the letters of support from supportive organizations that were sent to BOE. If you know of other letters that were sent to the BOE, please forward to
HuiMakuaOPuohala@gmail.com
ELECTED OFFICIALS - Over 55 elected officials have been contacted; and Representative Scot Matayoshi confirmed: "Thank you for reaching out. I've been getting a lot of emails and calls about this issue. Rep Kitagawa and I are sending a letter to the DOE in support of Kaiapuni schools and asking for more information and updates from them. I do want a dedicated school on the windward side." There has been support from all district senators and representatives including others like Council Member Esther Kiaana.
REQUESTED MEETING WITH SUP/BOE
We have requested a meeting with Superintendent Hayashi and BOE Chair Takumi.
Rep Woodson has offered to join that meeting.
Sup Hayashi responded that he will have his assistant arrange a meeting with him and Hui Makua, when he returns from the continent.
PRESS CONFERENCE
We will be holding a press conference on Thursday, July 10th at 11am in front of the DOE Building (1390 Miller Street, Honolulu, HI). Please attend and help spread the word (more details coming soon).
SOCIAL MEDIA
Although not professionals, we continue to be steadfast in informing the public and partnering with organizations who can assist us in doing so.
BOE MEETING AGENDA
We're in the process of getting on to the next BOE Meeting Agenda in August, yet we continue to explore all avenues as school will be starting.
LEGAL REPRESENTATION
Parents have secured possible Legal Representation, this would be the VERY LAST OPTION as we know this has a long timeline and not the immediate solutions we're looking for.
| Federal funding to the Hawai‘i Dept of Ed | |
At our June Meeting, HI DOE CFO, Brian Hallett reported that forward funding would prohibit the US ED from withholding allocated funding for the 2025-2026 school year
However, as of July 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education has withheld the release of approximately $6.2 billion in federal K–12 education funding nationwide, which includes funds for Hawaii. This action, described as an "impoundment," has created significant uncertainty for state and local education agencies, including Hawaii's Department of Education, as these funds are critical for programs such as summer learning, after-school activities, and support for underserved students
Brian Hallett is right, the U.S. Department of Education cannot legally withhold funds appropriated by Congress for K–12 education without following specific procedures outlined in the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Once Congress has appropriated funds and the President has signed the legislation, the executive branch is required to distribute those funds as directed by law.
Impoundment—the act of withholding or delaying the release of appropriated funds—is only permitted if the President submits a “special message” to Congress specifying the amount, rationale, and budgetary effects of the proposed freeze. This allows for a temporary hold (up to 45 legislative days) while Congress considers the request. If Congress does not approve the rescission within that period, the administration must release the funds.
As of early July 2025, no such special message has been sent by the administration regarding the current freeze on education funds. Education law experts, advocacy groups, and multiple state officials have stated there is no good-faith legal basis for the current withholding of funds, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has begun investigating potential violations of the Impoundment Control Act.
| |
August 12 Meeting
Early Childhood Learning in Hawai‘i
Come in person or join by zoom to learn from Yuuko Arikawa-Cross about how programs are growing and doing. Bring your questions and comments for a good discussion and a delicious lunch.
| |
June Meeting Notes
Brian Hallett, Asst. Supt. Finance, and CFO for HI DOE-- joined us bringing 3 staff members to update us on their view of the district financial picture for the upcoming year.
Brian explained, to alleviate concerns we all have, that education is “forward funded” meaning that the US ED funding for the HI DOE 2025-2026 year is already committed and will be received. Brian and his team are watching the situation closely and will be prepared to work for solutions if/when cuts occur.
So in short: no problem is foreseen with the 2025-26 HI DOE budget support from the US ED.
However, other funding of programs important to our families could be hurt by pending legislation - medicaid, SNAP, etc. We now have a great open channel and will continue to communicate with Brian and his staff with our concerns and for their updates.
| |
Funding Cut Log
We believe some programs at UH have already been cut that support K12 learning, via teacher professional development and other.t
We understand Gear Up likely will not continue to be funded. We hope that P20 has adequate funds for their important work without Gear Up.
If you have info on cuts to education or family services, please send them to me director@heecoalition.org.
We will start and share a log of programs cut or in danger.
| |
Our Meeting Learning about Kāne‘ohe Hawaiian Immersion Pū’ōhala School and Pūnana Leo o Koʻolau Poko preschool
(If interested, see notes on the HI BOE meeting and the link to the video of the testimony in the item below from last week's update.)
First student Lauae Mosely spoke by zoom about the experience of growing up in the school, seeing its growth, and the strength of its comunity.
Then - Lehua Coloma, Special Ed teacher and Waianuhea Walk, Lead 6-12 teacher spoke in person.
Here is a link to their presentation.
Background
Originally an elementary school, Pū’ōhala now delivers Hawaiian immersion education to grades k-12. Each grade has been growing i numbers and over the past few years grades 7-12 were added.
Pūnana Leo rents two classrooms from the DOE and provides community (private, the parents pay). The three school buildings also house English students for grades K-6. Students and parents testified to the HI BOE meeting June 19 that while their numbers are growing, they have been told that one preschool classroom would have to be reclaimed due to special education classroom needs. The upper Pū’ōhala School offered to "give up" one of its classrooms so both preschool classrooms could continue. That room was taken, but the preschool classroom is still reclaimed by the HI DOE.
All of us in the meeting were impressed by the quality of research and presentation by the group supporting the 2nd preschool classroom. The charts in the presentation make clear the healthy pattern of growth of Hawaiian immersion at this school. Reducing its preschool capacity by 50% when additional space -- beyond immediate needs-- could be provided if the English k-6 students transferred to any of the 3 elementary schools all withing 1.5 miles of this school.
| |
Exec Director of EOEL, Yuuko Arikawa-Cross has been helpful informing me on the complex ways the various types of early learning services are established and how they relate to the DOE. I am still learning! Yuuko is going to meet with us to help us all to understand and support the growth of early learning at our August 12th meeting at PACT.
I have been trying to meet with Pū’ōhala principal, Kathy Kahikina but have not been able to get an appointment. Waianuhea and other leaders met with complex area superintendent Sam Izumi. They are working on scheduling meetings with the HI BOE Student Achievement Committee and with Lt. Gov Sylvia Luke.
We will continue to seek information, and to look for ways to maintain the preschool capacity at Pū’ōhala School.
| |
We convened early at 11:30am to get our lunch plates and we stayed late to eat the 2 key lime pies I baked— one healthy, one evil. Folks told me they liked both pies— some were surprised they liked a key lime pie with no sugar— only avocados and limes and maple syrup in a pecan and date crust. :)
| Images and Notes from Last Week's Update | |
Shortage of Space for Hawaiian Immersion Preschool? Critical continuity of grades PreK- 12?
Inadequate Prioritization?
The day 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.
| |
The rest of the June 19, 2025 Board Meeting
Superintendent's Report
- National Teacher Hall of Fame- Dr. Pascale Creek Pinner Hilo Int. one of 5 teachers inducted
- Kailua-Kalaheo use of SBA creative use of assessment resources
- Award of merit to communication, marketing - attend today, achieve tomorrow, weekly newsletter,
- Lahaina educator housing - $20M, 47 rental units - 1 and 2 BR homes, 5 Acres, ready by Dec 2025.
- 11,000 graduates from 46 High Schools
- 95% of schools (245) are offering summer programs - some funded by legislature.
- 121 Internships in the BOE and DOE
- 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.
| |
