Um right now, again, we have infants, toddlers, and preschool. Um right now our students are only typically 10th grade is working in the preschool. Our 11th graders, who have a little bit more training and a little bit more hands-on, are in the toddler room. I don't have anyone working in the infant room yet. Um that would require a little bit more training. Um because our program is licensed under EEC, like I said, our students are classified as temporary staff, even though we're not paying them to work. Um they're they're considered staff and because they're in that room with those teachers um and being considered staff, they have to go under a CORI story and a fingerprint check. And it's separate from the ones that we do on the high school side. Those are fingerprints for DESE, they do not translate over to EEC. They would have to get a whole separate set of background checks and fingerprints, which is a little bit um it's it's causing a a slight issue.
So, yeah, on this bill we were just asking that um it would be a lot easier and simpler and time efficient to make a you know, like a lump sum allocation instead of making it based on uh revenues specifically related to this. So, that was our main concern. And then again, on top of that, when people report on their GET they lump sum everything together and we don't always have a breakout Uh-huh. and be able to tell what's related to what. So, it makes it difficult to understand allocate funds specifically um related to things and and make them deposit if that makes sense. Okay. And also asking for uh an additional time Yeah. >> uh to transfer and get get the yeah, the um the department to um I guess create or add a person that just will be dealing with this. Mhm. It's kind it won't be easy, I'm sure.
Yeah, and I understand that um perspective, but our students don't have time for us to wait three years for us to get implementation done, right? And also, we're at the end of the quarter. I think when we're having conversations at the end and we still haven't the majority of our me or entry measures aren't being met or whatever the case is, that's when the drastic urgency needs to come in in the last quarter. And that's like in anything for whatever we're looking at. Um, so yes, you're right. And I probably wouldn't be as adamant if this would have been the first report or the second gen rate, but we have three months to figure it out. And our data is not looking great, especially for a specific amount of kids that isn't, you know, a larger scale. So that's where I feel like my urgency comes in.
Uh the other piece that we're running into, when one of my EEC staff members calls out sick, I don't have coverage. I've had to shut an infant room down because I don't have an EEC licensed teacher. So if we were all to have you guys oversee the program, then we could have people who have been CORI storied and fingerprinted on the high school side that might be interested in working in the daycare be trained and step in as substitute teachers versus us having to shut whole classrooms down. So there's that that piece is a little bit of a struggle as well. Um the impact on the fingerprints, like I said, our students are unable to enter the shop. Like I said, nearly 80% of our students are sitting in classrooms all day. Um they are not getting any sort of clinical hours, they're not experiencing working with kids, and that's that's what we signed up, you know, this program for them to do, and they they cannot do it.
>> No. Okay. All right. >> Yeah, and just update the forms and do all that. You know, it seems like it would be simple, but the form process takes a while. >> Well, I don't know about updating the form. I think you have to create a form, right? for specific this issue. Yeah, for deposit. Okay. >> Yeah, and then we have a new new to us at least where we have to make them all ADA compliant, which is a whole 'nother process that adds on to all the the forms. So, it just takes longer than you would think. [clears throat] Okay, we're almost close to half of the fiscal and you're asking for January 2027, but is that enough time? Um it usually is. We usually uh try to get all the forms prepared, updated and changed by like September, October in that area. So, we've always been able to do it.
It's like, yes, those are all true and our kids can't continue to keep waiting until we get all the conversations laid out or whatever it is and our data shows that. So, um, as specifically when it's at the end of the year, like something needs to happen, we need to pivot, we need to change something. I don't know what it is. Um, but that should be a little bit more shown in the progress monitoring reports, especially the actual, you know, three months for the end of the year and then we're really not only in the fourth quarter of this but we're getting close to the fourth quarter and that's um pardon me if I'm wrong but not just I know that that's just the kids that show up and assessment on day but is that roughly the amount of delivery system >> obviously we're talking like literally getting three or four students and I'm not saying reduce it to that but I think when I bring myself back to that it reminds me of the initial conversations that we had in university setting in the schools and when I would think about individual students rather than these percentages and numbers and you were saying because I was like this is crazy.
I think I already showed that. Um like I said, it's inequitable. We have this beautiful chapter 74 programs. There's a lot of schools that have it. They don't seem to be running into the same problems that we are, and I think the reason that we are is because we have the infant toddler piece. Um and so that required EEC, but this new pathway that just came out in August of 2025, I've already spoken with the licenser about this. I reached out to her and I asked if we had the um school committee do the oversight for us, could we still keep the infant toddlers? And she said, "Yes, absolutely. You guys would just oversee it again with two directors here. Um nothing would really change other than the fact that we were we were just removing that licensing fingerprinting piece for our students." Um The only other piece to that, too, is an option three, if you choose to do this, we cannot accept daycare vouchers um from parents that might be paying or having um you know, vouchers to to enroll their students.
Well, if this passes as well Okay. All right. Not easy job. Okay, State Energy Office. Thank you. Okay. Um Thanks. Chair, members of the committee, Nicole Osteen with the Hawaii State Energy Office. We stand on our written testimony in support. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. On Zoom, uh Hawaii State Youth Commission Aloha the Hawaii State Youth Commission stands on our written testimony in strong support of this measure. Mahalo. Okay. Thank you very much. City County of Honolulu Okay. In support, County of Kauai In support. Uh Auto Dealers Association. Aloha Melissa. Aloha, my name is Melissa Pavlicek. I serve as the executive director for the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association, which represents 71 new car dealers in Hawaii and over 4,000 jobs uh directly and indirectly in our dealerships. We work closely with the Hawaii State Energy Office, the Department of Transportation, and support the transition to renewable fuels.
you were never there's no chance of how the doctor follow like it's only you know we only got to get two students I was like okay sure um so I think just a reminder about that too like you know I'm sitting here looking at these numbers and if we get lost in the percentages that's one thing but it's like three or four kids we just got to get three or four kids to meet our goal let alone if we're you know shooting above that right um I mean maybe I'm crazy but feels like >> I think it's part of the point when she talked about because what happens is when you look at the idea of it feels hopeless but when you can see an individual child what you know what the components are that you're using that when you can identify Are there some kids that are like on the edge of notable or on the edge of that glycal so it's that focusing is one of the things personally That was a lot for last question.
But at this time, there is zero parents using that um voucher option, so that's not impacting anyone that's in the daycare now, nor is it impacting any of the new enrolled students that I have coming in for next year. Like I said, all daycare rooms are full um and we don't have anyone on vouchers. So that would be the only other caveat to stepping in into option three. Um like I said, I had spoken to the licenser, so we are able to keep all three rooms. We don't have to shut any down as long as you guys approve to oversee. Um again, nothing is going to change. I will make sure that the ratio numbers are still the same, that the safety precautions are still the same, the operations run the same, doing monthly fire drills, making sure that anyone who is in the daycare has some sort of um Trying to think of what else.
We respectfully oppose this measure. Uh one of the purposes of this bill is to address rural and low-income costs of transportation. We believe that this bill will actually, because it applies to all Hawaii residents, who even those who share one primary vehicle, those one primary vehicles in a family tend to be mid-size or larger or SUVs, which can be more costly. Think, for example, um cars such as a Chevrolet Traverse or Tahoe. These are more expensive vehicles that are not, by any stretch of the imagination, a luxury vehicle. In addition, the Hawaii small business economy is composed of many small uh businesses and solo sole proprietors. They often operate vehicles such as a Toyota Tacoma, construction trades, and unionized workforce members, and those who work in uh jobs that require transporting things often purchase larger vehicles, including SUVs. So, these are the people that would be affected most by this funding for the uh tax relief or for the credit, I'm sorry, the rebate for EVs.
>> Um, >> I have some thoughts board members that I need discussion on. Um, so obviously we always vote on accepting the progress monitoring reports and there's two other options that we have that we've never have to really talk about. One of them is completely denying a progress war and saying that we're not fully convinced of what's happening that we have enough strategies to move the students forward. We can deny that, right? Or we also have the option of doing what's called to keep the conversation going, meaning that we're not fully convinced of what's happening, but we will allow the time with the feedback that we have today because we did throw a lot of written activity, right? There might be a lot of wanderings out there or some ahas moments that are going on. So another thing that we can do is um vote to keep the conversation going.
So I really it's really just that. All the parameters will stay the same. Nothing will change other than just removing the barrier of the fingerprinting um piece. So I don't know if you have any questions. So this program is April. And so this program has really not progressed Oh boy. So So this program has really not progressed. Are you telling me that the students have really not had that experience the entire year? Yes, since September when our licenser came to relicense the >> out in a rash here. Yeah. So when the licenser came in September and did her whole as we were up for relicensure, um she went through everything, all of our safety protocols, our chapter 74, and she said in order for our students to be working in the daycare, they had to have fingerprints. And then we pushed that out to the families.
Please don't get me wrong, new car dealers sell electric vehicles. We support tran- the transition to electric vehicles. I am often struck when I go to national conferences by how Hawaii has a large larger percentage of adoption of EVs than many other states. But still and all, 93% of Hawaii residents uh purchase and drive uh internal combustion engine vehicles. We want to support the transition to EVs, but we feel that this will unintentionally hurt those who purchase other vehicles. Thank you. Um okay. Well, this was kind of confusing at the beginning if you would look at the bill and understand um the unintended consequences. And if all of our islands are so different. Um I come from an area on the Big Island where we have we don't have a the base like Oahu, cuz Oahu has the largest EV cars [clears throat] within the state so far.
We don't fully accept this progress monitoring report, but we give the administration time either at our next board meeting to re visit this. But I mean, given that we're only here once a month, it's a little rough because then we have one month left and by that time there's a lot of stuff that happens. So, we could bring it back to another study session or but that's a conversation that we need to have if we're fully convinced that we have enough strategies to get us to our edge goal. I specifically in my personal view do not feel that I've I I have a really good temperature of the administration cabinet coming to us and saying yes this is what we're seeing we can do xyz but that doesn't mean that they don't have it. So I I'm like in a non spot right now and I would love feedback conversations what what is it that we're we're thinking that's just where I'm sitting at right now Mr.
There were many of whom did not feel comfortable having their children fingerprinted in order to participate. So yes, it is 80% of our students have not had any sort of experience. So why wasn't this brought earlier so that the kids could have Oh, yeah. Okay. Oh. She has a good point. Um what we did do, Aaron and I, my co-teacher, we met with administration and we brought this forward and we were able to set up a clinical experience for our 10th graders to go to the Frost school. So, they they didn't get the early education and care piece with infants, toddlers, and preschool, but the the Frost school willingly opened their doors to our students and so we were able to bus them over there and get a sort of an elementary experience, which has been wonderful. Um and then Andover Public Schools also just took in 10 of our kids.
Um and the consequences are pretty much um more on the average middle-class people, uh low income, um and those that use vehicles for fishing and and hunting and everything else, but I you know, it's it it differs. That's um interesting that, you know, when we see the benefits. At one time, matter of fact, it was my bill when EVs starting and my colleague over here, who's in the Senate, was the chair of energy in the house and I chaired in energy and we did give relief to EV purchases. I think was $50 or something like that to their registration. We also gave [clears throat] them an opportunity to to park at the airport um anyway free at one time and it it didn't last that long, but all the benefits were there um and not to say that I oppose EV purchasing, but it certainly does not apply to many in our population.
What would that process report what does that mean for the administration just like redo your paper to do all the football? >> Yeah. Yeah. So maybe this can help. So we have this sheet called defective goal monitoring and it says to accept the monitoring report or not. Once the board has completed the monitoring conversation, you must choose whether to accept or not accept the report based on three questions. Does the reality match the vision? Is there growth toward the vision? And is there a strategy and plan sufficient enough to cost growth toward the vision or the end goal? If the answer to only one or two of these questions is a yes, the board may opt to table the matter. And when you table the matter, um, it says, "The superintendent presents a monory report that is missing the prerequisites or that fails to clarify the board members to extend to which reality meals, consider tableabling the conversation and giving the superintendent a chance to fix it and reoffer it at a subsequent meeting instead of choosing to not accept it and ending the discussion.
So, we have those two options. It's just we have a beautiful on-site daycare and some kids want to work with younger kids and they're not able to do that. So, we we did kind of So, how much of the year has been salvaged with this this group of kids? How many are you talking? 30. There are 32. So, how much of the year has been salvaged? The first couple of months. We were able to get them out on clinical, I think in November. So, yeah. September, October, and part of November, um we were kind of piecing things together for them to give them some sort of experience. And Okay. I'm okay for now. So, as far as the fingerprinting um what can we do to make that happen? Is there Is there anyone we need to address that can kids can maybe they can get the fingerprint here or is that Is that something we have to address the governor, the who state police head >> [laughter] >> I mean, you tell me who do we need to get in contact with to make it happen because maybe that's what we need to do.
Senator Elefante. Hi Ms. Papacheck, do you have any data from HADA on EV sales in comparison to gas Yes. >> vehicles? Yes, we produce a quarterly auto outlook, which I'd be glad to share with chair and you can distribute it to the committee. We track not just EV sales, but all sales of light duty vehicles in the state, including by brand, and you'll see some interesting data. And as Chair Inouye pointed out, the islands do have different adoption rates, but one of the reasons for that um when Chair Lee was uh the transportation chair, we often supported bills to uh increase and promote infrastructure. So, for those who need charging stations and Oahu is a double-edged sword. We have a high degree of uh units that are multi-family units and high-rises, and it's often difficult for those to find charging at their residence. Yeah. But I'd be glad to share that.