and and what what what what's the impact of reducing it by that amount or even more? >> Um it would be whatever that number is. So, you know, if if we have to withdraw 1 million out, it's it's 1 million off the balance. Now, whether or not that's going to have an impact on like the bond rating agencies or anything, if the override doesn't pass, I think I think it'd be safe to say that we would at least be looking at like a a revised outlook from you know neutral to negative although I can't say for sure um but >> in terms of bond rating >> yeah exactly um you know it's just hard to say a lot of this stuff is so subjective you know I I know we want like the hard crisp you know you know black or white answers but it is just a whole lot of gray and a whole lot of subjective >> so what sorts when Does bond rating impact us >> whenever we go out for a borrowing and um and we have to do like a rate like a ratings call a ratings uh evaluation.
But yeah, we are going to have some apples to apples data which would be great and then be able to share here's where we saw the growth. That's going to be probably the we haven't had that because we have even when you go PSAT for juniors to SAT for juniors, it's still a different test and the scale does shift. This is the first time we're going to have the exact same scale just given months later. So it's actually the true like first real time we're able to do that. So thank you to the board for that and we hopefully continue that practice next couple years. >> Great. Just really quickly, the PTO um collaborating for the volunteer opportunities. Is there a way to incorporate the youth commission because I know in the January absolutely January meeting, they were talking about revamping rake and bake and things like that.
>> Yeah, I would say the um the thing along with the equipment that we we would have to be mindful of that is the person that is operating the plow. Um we have a pretty lean grounds team right now. Um, you know, we obviously we put the inside maintainer through for this budget, but um the the minimal right now we have um a grounds forman and three grounds people and so you know >> Yeah. No, I lied there. >> I mean I I do I do believe in climate change. Um but I also think we're still going to be getting snow for years to come. Um and I think we I think it's probably more of an oddity that we just didn't really get much snow in the last few years. >> Yeah. uh you know I don't So anyway that's just uh something to keep in mind.
And I wish that I wish that more people saw that. But I'm very grateful for Blue Oak. Um, and thank you for all who listen to what I have to say. Thank you. >> Finally, we have we have one more student, Payton. All righty. Eighth grader. >> Good evening, members of the board. My name is Payton and I'm an eighth grade student at Blue Oak. I'm here today to talk about how the school has helped me become the person I am today. When I think about my experience at Blue at Blue Oak, I don't just think of all the homework and tests I've done. I think of all the friendships I've made, the valuable things I've learned in main lesson or the handwork class where I learned how to knit and explore my creativity. Bulock has allowed me to learn in many different ways. Here, I feel included by all of my peers and my teachers, some who have been with my class four years.
uh the prohibiting the sale and rental distribution of disposable body boards. Um I was made aware that the county of Kawaii has already passed they're already banning disposable body boards as of December of last year and I would like to recommend that we follow suit and pass this measure as is.
Thank you for the opportunity. >> Okay. Thank you, Sandy Livingston. >> Not on Zoom, chair. >> Okay. Not on Zoom. Uh, Nichols Leven Lever, sorry. Leveres, >> also not on Zoom. >> Okay. Abby Simmons, >> not on Zoom. Chair, >> not on Zoom. Okay. Elizabeth uh, Juben Fujiwara on Zoom. Aloha, Elizabeth. >> Oh, sorry, Chair. Elizabeth is not on Zoom at the moment, but we have Anna Izzy instead. >> Okay. I'm sorry. Anna Izzy, is that what you said? >> Yes, sir. >> Yes, Chair. >> Okay. Thank you. Welcome, Anna. >> Aloha, Chair Kim, Vice Chair Kirani, and members of the committee. My name is Anna Ezie. I'm testifying in support of SB 3024 on behalf of Every Voice Hawaii. We're a student survivor and recent alumled coalition working to address gender violence on college campuses and we're in strong support of this bill because the current federal but if the if this were to be a compliance ceiling, it would effectively tie school administrators hands behind their backs to when it comes to dealing with the most common forms of sexual misconduct.
Um didn't say he acted like he was much older than that but he was 10. Um, but I wonder about that too and I was really trying to listen as you were talking about um the needs, you know, like the high school courses and things like I we're not going to have any sixth graders taking a high school course, right? I mean, I guess it's maybe >> not not not to the extent. There's a few that do, but not not a great number. >> It just it just seemed like the things that were more and we're for the UA courses, we're going to combine seventh and eighth grade, right? But we wouldn't have sixth graders with them. No, they sixth graders would not have UA courses. Sixth graders would be isolated from seventh and eighth graders throughout the day with the exception of passing time and the bus.
So usually they have that right before we go out to bond time that >> and currently I know we have a couple of bonds for the public safety building, one for the Mind School. >> Those are temporary. We're going to we will be rebonding. Is that true or are those long term now? Yeah, we've already done public safety with long-term. We haven't done that with Mendes yet. >> Okay. >> But we got a lot of others. We got um like several with CPC, some you know associated with water, water and sewer work. Um I think we still have some related to downtown. There's there's quite a few things >> that we would that we have already bonded or that we so those are already >> protected no matter what happens to our rating. So, in terms of in terms of what we still have to go out for a longer term bond, the Mendes school, is there are there others?
So, I wonder if we can >> we really we like one of the conversations that's come out of like school climate and a little bit of PTO is like a a day of service for our kids across the board. >> Yeah. Trying to identify what that day looks like and when and how that happens is a whole another thing and that's going to require a pretty heavy lift working with the superintendent of the board. Um but I think the power that that is for this community to do a day of service would be awesome. Absolutely. So yeah, I will connect with PTO. The PTO meeting is coming up and then um yeah, we'll work with the youth commission as well. >> Perfect. Awesome. Great. Great idea. >> Thank you. And Carolyn. >> Yeah, I just had one quick question. Sure. Can you explain the the link crew?
Uh >> where's that number coming from Tim? 30,000 only because I feel like because we have the pool or shared resources with the town it saves us more in the long run and they do an exceptional job. I mean, these past couple of snowstorms, our kids are >> Does the town >> the town doesn't clear our lots, do they, Vin? >> They salt after um after our vendor >> Yeah. after our vendor completes all the plowing. And you know, by the way, we have a couple of our own trucks that do have plows on them, but they we're just not equipped to handle that much snow >> that quickly, right? You have to get to all of the schools. I think that's it's that's the logistical reason why you have we two different vendors right now. But yeah, we do not our vendor doesn't treat the lots.
At this school, my teachers taught me how to be kind to others, how to resolve conflicts thoughtfully, and look at the world with an open mind. Because Blue is a charter school, the curriculum values Waldorf principles while meeting high academic standards. That means time in nature, more focus on art, and being more like a community. Renewing our charter isn't just about keeping the school open. It's about investing in the place that helps children grow and to into compassionate, open-minded people. I ask you to support the renewal of Blue Oak so more kids can experience this special holistic education. Thank you. >> Thank you. Well, that was a really fantastic presentation by all of us >> um almost want to thank Chico Unified for um listening and having um our back and um thank you. >> Thank you. I'm not sure who you would address the questions to, but um do you two want to stand up here just in case?
Any discussion? Senator Richards chair votes I vice chair >> on Senate bill 2941 passing un amendment un amended chair votes I vice chair votes I senator decoy >> I >> senator roads I >> senator awa is excused chair have four in favor motion is adopted >> thank you members and then moving on to SB 2712 uh the chair's recommendation will be to uh pass with amendments incorporating the AG's office suggested amendments that establishes uh required grant standards and correct technical drafting issues as well as the Hawaii sustainable farms. Suggested amendments to expand eligible hemp uses prioritize USDA compliant growers and remove search charges and additional regulatory burdens. We'll also make technical amendments and include deferring the date to uh July 1st, 2050. uh blank the appropriation amount and insert into the committee report for consideration.
And you can see stories from frustrated students in my written testimony. But by strengthening state protections, the legislature can give Hawaii schools the legal tools to implement best practices and create truly safe campuses free from sex-based discrimination. Mahalo for the opportunity to testify. >> Thank you, Anna. Laura Nakan Nakanua on Zoom. Chair and committee members, I stand in opposition of this bill for reasons that include uh the existing title X um laws that we all are well acquainted with. I feel as though um this law, this this proposed uh uh legislation goes far beyond clarifying protections and instead imposes sweeping mandates that create some legal uncertainty, heightened liability, and substantial administrative challenges to our public schools by requiring access to bathrooms, locker rooms, and sex segregated facilities and activities based solely on gender identity. The bill I feel overlooks critical privacy and safety needs especially for young children in enclosed intimate spaces where vulnerability is heightened and supervision is often simply limited.
>> Yeah. >> Otherwise, they would be separate from seventh and eighth graders. One thing that is important to understand too, let's say hypothetically we pulled, let's just say to reduce class sizes, we pulled teen time out of the schedule. Well, unfortunately, when you look at a schedule with even sixth grade, then you end up with two very large teams. Um, Miss Jackson, the assistant principal of Middle School Central, which has done a lot of scheduling. Um, she did scheduling for high schools and middle schools, and with our tracks of courses with honors and such, it it becomes near impossible to have anything but two teams in sixth grade if you remove the team time from the schedule. So that's really counterproductive if we're trying to keep teaming and then we have these two very large teams. Um then you're then you're not really you're not really teaming then if you have two very large teams in sixth grade.
>> Um, I'll have to check the water the ozone filter. I think we're just doing that as a ban right now. >> Okay. Yeah. Okay. All right. And then um finally so in terms of the stabilization account and so if the policy says you can only take 10% or you have this has to be in place do would we if and we wanted to do something different would we have to is that within our power as the select board is it um >> well usually it's we've come to an agreement at the tribe board meeting and um so the policies technically say you know they can They can be adjusted by um by a twothirds vote of the fincom select board and school committee and the town manager and superintendent. >> Okay. All right. That's good to know. Do we need to plan for another tri board meeting before town meeting?
Um >> yeah, that's a good question. Right. So, uh thanks to Dean. Uh I've actually seen it. I've worked in other schools that's had that have had link crew. Uh Dean at the middle school they have a program called web right which is basically students mentoring um the incoming so eighth graders mentoring the incoming sixth graders. Link crew is the high school version of that. So it's really juniors and seniors mentoring uh incoming nth graders. So they do everything. So our we've had two teachers that have been gone off to uh full like I think it's a two or three day training um about how to facilitate this. Local schools in the area some have it. Amity, Pompog, a couple other schools like that. Um, and they went out to this training and they come back and right now we're in the process of collecting um, names for students who want to be a link leaders, right?
Our town does it for us. >> Got it. But the vendor the vendor does the plowing of snow. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Okay. Anyway, I guess I'm simply saying like, you know, it's always when you see numbers, you know, looking big, looking for an alternative makes sense. Yeah. >> So, if an alternative if insourcing it made sense, then I'd be open to that, too. >> Yeah. And and just to go back, Sam, to your question about like the cost, um, for example, on January 17th, we had a 3-in snow. We plowed and treated it. It was, um, $27,870, but we had a 9 in snow. We plowed and treated it on the 27th of December, and it was $38,000. So it's not like a doubling cost but there is kind of a minimum you know based on the amount of snow. So we are paying a lot for those those bigger snowfalls.
Okay. And I don't even know if we have any questions. We'll see. Are there any um questions from the board? >> Great job. >> We're letting you off easy tonight, I guess. Okay. Um though at this time we do need to um open it for public hearing. Um are there any So we're now opening it for public hearing. Is there any public comment? Yes. >> Hello. Uh my name is Julia and first of all let me say that those schools sound amazing. Um unfortunately my child cannot attend that school. Um, while I think all of those things sound so fantastic, uh, my child has a disability, so she is not welcome at those schools. Um, and it is unfortunate that these amazing programs that um exist like going these wilderness stays and I saw um fantastic music and art and all these different things that the public schools don't generally offer do not exist for my child.
Any discussion? Chair votes I >> on Senate Bill 2712 passing with amendments of the members in attendance. Anybody voting with reservations? Any no votes? Chair, you have four in favor. Motion adopted. >> And Pan Pereé, thank you. Members, uh SP uh relating to trespass. Um, >> so while I hear what you're saying, Senator Koy, and appreciate the input of the committee members, the fact is, as you well know, we are out of time, I would like to uh so I would like to uh in terms of this session uh yeah, we're going to [snorts] be deferring this bill indefinitely. So, we'll have to pick up that conversation next session. And then on SP 2112, this related to petroleum based food dyes, I'd like to pass this one with amendments incorporating the animal health institute suggested amendments to clarify that the measure applies only to food for human consumption and will also note in the committee report the Department of Health's funding and position appropriation requests for consideration.
So I, you know, would ask that schools have the flexibility to implement reasonable and evidence-based policies that prioritize first and foremost the protection and comfort of all of our students, particularly minors, while preserving biologically grounded distinctions in such private settings and in competitive sports. >> Thank you, Laura. Your time is up. Appreciate. >> Thank you very much. Thank you. Michael Golovich >> in support. >> Uh good afternoon, Michael Goly Jr. Heim pronouns from the uh president of Private Work Hawaii. First off, we'd like to say happy thumb appreciation day. Um all joking aside, uh we stand in strong support of this legislation. Uh I'd like to thank the previous testifier for highlighting the need for this bill. Uh we've seen day after day for the last year and a month uh constant attacks against um protections for our LGBTQIA plus community for survivors of sexual abuse.