Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Um, let's see. Anyone else wishing to testify on this measure? Hearing none, questions? Members, any questions? Senator Hashimoto. DUI. So, so I guess when when they had this specific program in place, um did the DOE actually seriously consider what were the pros and the cons of trying to accommodate something like this? My my understanding is that um we did um support um vendors who were interested um in um benefiting from the program. It's a reimbursement program, so they need to up front purchase the bus, um, put the bus that they're replacing out of service, show evidence of that, and other other things before they get the reimbursement through the Department through the EPA. Um, we know of um well, I know of one um charter school that was able to take advantage of the program. So, when when was the Department uh did the Department ever embark on a study to see if, you know, it would be less expensive for you to own the bus and then let the third party then run it.
Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. All members present, anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 2443. Recommendation is to pass unamended. Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Members present, anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 2468. Recommendation is to pass with amendments, uh for private sector employers, apprenticeship program sponsors, and trade organizations with fewer than 50 employees, the state shall reimburse 100% of the interns' wages, provided that the reimbursement shall not exceed the maximum rate established pursuant to this section. And for private sector employers, apprenticeship program sponsors, and trade organizations with 50 or more employees, shall be reimbursed up to 50% of an interns' wages up to $10 per hour.
>> So I'll make a motion. I'll make it. So motion to table. I'll make a motion to table the uh item G furniture verse. Second seconds it. Any just kind of further discussion on that? I just noticed the quote on this says it's only valid through 3526. I don't know if that was it's going to be I I I don't think that that'd be an issue. That's the that's when we were meeting and discussing some. I'll I'll double check it. I think something in the plan that comes back to is to how it's going to benefit the kids cuz it's our primary focus. I mean it doesn't need to be you know specifically this kids going to get this out of this but something philosophical that ties in what we're doing how it's benefiting. I'll add to that though maybe it's also not all about the kids if it's also about our staff and team.
Right? Like, I think that's how I'm sure that's how the city and I know Maui County operates in that manner. They they they own the physical asset, but there's a third party, you know, contractor maintaining it and running it. To just get a baseline understanding of you know, is there any synergies or efficiencies because I think that's how they um are being able [clears throat] to achieve these at least hybrid buses at this point. Mhm. Right? Versus I don't see any progress at least in the school bus side of it. Yeah, the I think the um the way the bus for the city is run is is real different. Um, they have an economies of scale. They have many more routes. Um and um they they own the fleet, um, but they, you know, have uh a contract um for um operators, which the city pays for.
Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 2472. Uh recommendation is to pass with amendments required that EUTF conduct a market analysis on salaries before the EUTF is authorized to establish the salary for the trust fund assistant administrator commensurate to the private sector.
Our community. Right. I mean that it's it's all. It's not just the kids. It's it's what are we doing to help our teachers our community and to promote our school corporation. So with our primary focus being our kids. Absolutely. Cuz I think any any chance we get to bring people in to see because then people understand when we talk about things that maybe our needs or or what we you know then they're in here. They they know. Our campus is so awesome. When you bring in someone here for the first time, that's the first thing they say, "Oh my gosh, I didn't know this was so awesome here, right?" And this is part of that of bringing bringing people to here so they understand who we are and what we do. Um But yeah, I'll we'll I'll we'll put that together and we'll bring it back for our next board meeting.
Um They do have some electric buses for the shorter in-town routes. Um You know, it's just really different for how DOE runs its bus system. We We do have um and I'm aware of we have done sort of a back of the napkin kind of assessment of, you know, if we were to bring all the buses in-house and we ran it, how much it would cost, and it's significantly more than >> we're asking. That would be That's not what we want. I think you what you got to look at is are there models out there that we can look at and and potentially adapt to. But I think the first thing is just seeing if there's some type of feasibility assessment. So, you guys haven't done that then. Well, I have my uh bus administrator here. Just let me turn and see. Have we in the past done an assessment like that?
Any discussion? Now, Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 2474. Recommendation is to pass with amendments, insert language that evaluations of entering into non-bidding non-binding international cooperative agreements with foreign national governments, foreign subnational jurisdictions, and regional intergovernmental parties should exclude key state should include key state initiatives such as economic development, trade, education, agriculture, and biosecurity.
And they can see us shine. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Um I guess we need to take a vote. All in favor of table nine, say I. I. Opposed. Okay. Let the record reflect tabled. Um item I, educational field trip discussion. Superintendents Today is what I do. H. Homeschool that went to Item H, fundraiser request. Uh superintendent recommendation to approve the fundraiser request for the FFA as listed on page 95. Do I have a motion? Motion. Uh Wendy, is there a second? Second. Okay.
No. Is cuz what are there federal funds that we're leaving on the table that we know of? Not not at this time cuz the program was Right, right, but there are Is there no other ways uh federal DOT or anything else that you know that we're not getting access to? We can certainly explore that. We're supportive again of the intent. Because I think if if if you say that, you know, it's it's not necessarily working, you got to look at a lot of the the school districts on the mainland. There there must be something to it if they a lot of them are owning their own buses, right? They don't necessarily contract it out cuz they have their school district all across the United States. They they own those buses likely or they have some type of um own you know, some some some type of partnership that allows them to put their name on it.
Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation is adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 2498. Recommendation is to pass unamended. Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation is adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 2546. Recommendation is to pass with amendments, reinsert the total amount of the annual statewide cap is uh $5 million and sunset the program on January 1, 2029.
Any questions or discussion on that? They're They're at the banquet, they're just going to do a do a silent auction as a little fundraiser for the program, so. Any further discussion? All in favor, say I. I. Opposed. Okay. Okay. Now, I item I, educational field trip discussion. Superintendent and the high school principal will discuss the request for an educational field trip with the board. Yes, and we're going on the trip. So, yeah, so Sam and I are going to talk about this. Well, we need Jeff around, you know. Um I'm getting, you know, we had a conversation about getting our kids out of Stark County. Um and Mr. Dusty Minix um has come to us and approached us about taking kids all overseas. Um I'm going to let Sam explain that that a little bit more here. Um this is not anything we're making a decision on, just simply a conversation.
So, I would assume there there's something out there that we may be missing or or, you know, are you are you Can you bifurcate? Is there a different model for the neighbor islands versus Oahu, right? Is But I think if we're just going to keep doing the status quo, it doesn't help any of us because you know, we're just not going to change and we don't know if we're not going to continually assess, right? So, I hope I hope that we can start to look at it. I think that that to me this that was the spirit of the reso, I I think to but I think we we have a lot of area that we can we we should be continually looking at to to make this more efficient. I know it's not a core function, but I think it's a really important business function of the DOE.
Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation adopted. Chairwoman Say. Is this Okay, members, let's go back to um House Bill 2300. Uh we're going to reconsider um the amendments, and uh recommendation will be to pass as is.
We're not looking at this until June, July of 2028. Um so, it kind of that prepared planning, you know, phase, um especially financially. Um so, we just kind of want to bring it to your table, Mr. Els. I'm just kind of turn it over to you. Sure. Uh I'm up here. Um cuz I don't like standing up here. Um So, in June July of 2028, uh Mr. Minix wants to take a group of students um to to Europe to France and England on a educational tour of uh Normandy, Paris, and London. Uh be a great opportunity to get the students who want to go to let them experience the the cultural in Europe outside of the United States. Um uh what's nice is this is being kind of housed through EF Educational Tours, which is a national organization that focuses on not just getting tours for for students, but also kind of making it more educationally focused for them.
I I agree. That we should continuously look into it. I do. Yes. Thank you, Chair. Do you have any other questions, members? >> [clears throat] >> Okay, thank you. Thank you. Senate Concurrent Resolution 113, SR 106, requesting Department of Education to submit a report to the legislature detailing farm-to-school implementation, local food procurement, regional kitchen alignment, and federal farm-to-school uh grant participation. And we do have the Department of Education. No. Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee. Jesse Souki, Deputy Superintendent of Operations. Um, we stand on our testimony with comments, but essentially uh in summary, our testimony is asking that um we not repeat what's already required by statute. Um, we report many of these items in 302A-405.6. And the part that the reso that talks about um local purchasing, um, we're actually working on a strategic plan um to as in a response to the audit to get that local purchasing um strategic plan in place.
Any discussion? No, I'm going to leave it. So, just pass as is. Unamended. Any discussion? If not, pass unamended. Pass unamended. Any discussion? Chairwoman Say. Okay, so HB 2300 to pass unamended. Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation adopted. Thank you. Next item, House Bill 2599. Recommendation is to pass unamended.
Um so, it is a opportunity to get our students out to experience the new things in in in Europe and beyond and just a great opportunity for them to kind of just yeah, try any new experiences in high school. Um so, it is approximately a 10-day tour um with with uh I believe it's starting in Normandy and then it's going to work its way um to Paris to to London. Um right now it is in phase of kind of finalizing everything. Um until things are finalized and approved by the board, of course, they won't finalize any tour trips because that would require um money. Um however, they as the the organization, they will actually handle all the finances for it. Um the they will reach out to parents and parents are aware that they will work directly with that organization to to provide um funding for the trip, so it's nothing that we have to do within internally and then collect the money and then submit the money to them and then get everything turned back.
So, we'd like the um opportunity and flexibility to report on these items through those um existing uh work activity that we're doing. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Sharon Hurd. Um, Department of Ag. Not here. And Johnny Me Perry in support. Not here. Okay, members, questions. I just have a question, Chair. Um, Jesse. Okay. So, this resolution was was introduced by Senator Dela Cruz, and he is well aware of the farm-to-school, the regional kitchen. He's well aware of the audit. So, why do you think he's Why do you think this resolution is being introduced? I I'm already reporting all of this, and he's very much aware of these things. Yeah, I I'm not sure this Did he guys contact you to ask? Not not yet. Why not? Well, you folks knew about this. You obviously said you wanted it to it to be combined. And we're already responded.
Any discussion? Uh Chairwoman Say. Adjourn. Anyone Oh, wait. Okay, to pass pass unamended. Um Anyone voting no with reservation? Recommendation adopted. Thank you. I'm calling the 10:32 agenda to order. Uh first item is House Bill 1519. Uh recommendation is to pass with amendments, insert conforming amendment to ensure it's limited to contracts with the within the same branch, remove the appropriations for the state procurement office, amend the appropriation for campaign spending commission to come out of the Hawaii election campaign fund instead of the general fund, and uh effective date July 1, 2026.