Hawaii Kai forum to promote passage of constitutional amendment

HONOLULU—A community forum will talk about the constitutional amendment that proposes to have the governor appoint Hawaii’s Board of Education (BOE) rather than have it elected as is now the case. The constitutional amendment will ask voters to ratify or reject this on the November 2 ballot.

Support for an elected board will kick off the evening by a presentation from BOE chair Garrett Toguchi followed by a presentation from “Hawaii’s Children First”—a ballot issue committee formed specifically for the promotion and passage of the constitutional amendment.

The office of Rep. Gene Ward, who represents Hawaii Kai to Kalama Valley, is sponsoring the forum.

“I used to think an elected board was the only way to get reforms implemented until I realized that an elected board is part of the problem that nothing gets done in a system that has no accountability and transparency in it,” Ward said.

The origins of the constitutional amendment stemmed from the public’s reaction to the 17 lost school days from “Furlough Fridays,” in addition to Hawaii’s low national ranking in school systems now at the bottom as 47th out of 50 states.

“We hope to have a lively debate and win this initiative, though the voices of the dissenters are joined by the blank votes in their favor, because blank votes are considered the same as “no” votes in the constitutional amendment balloting,” Ward said.

Future of the Board of Education Townhall Forum
Tuesday, October 5 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Hahaione Elementary School Cafeteria
595 Pepeekeo St.