House Standing Committee on Education

Aloha and good afternoon. Welcome to your committee on education. Today's date is April. It is 02:03PM. We have, three resolutions on the agenda, so it should go by pretty fast.

So first up, we have HCR 13 and HR 15 in tandem, requesting the Department of Education and State Public Charter School Commission to collaborate with the Department of Land and Natural Resources to develop a student coral stewardship program. So first up, we have department of education.

Aloha, chair, vice chair, members of the community. Winston Sotterer representing the department. We stand on our written written testimony, providing comments, and are happy to work with DLNR on this.

Okay. Thank you so much. We also have the DLNR in person.

Chair, vice chair, committee members. Charlie Taylor on behalf of the owner's division of aquatic resources. We support this resolution as written. I guess just noting that there were some earlier iterations of this resolute resolution that Put the burden of submitting reports. For instance, the Legislature on D on our we were not supportive of that aspect of it.

But we are very, very much supportive of collaborating with the Department of Education on this. So and I'm available for any questions.

Thank you so much. We also members also have two individuals submitting testimony in support. Anyone else wishing to testify on HCR 13 and HR 15? Okay. Seeing none of the first questions.

Okay. Quick question for DLNR, please. Can you clarify what your concerns were on having DLNR be the lead in submitting the report to the legislature?

Sure. I guess there are a couple things. One, we're already pretty heavily burdened with reports that we're submitting to the legislature on various other initiatives that we're doing. We currently are are, very, very active in educating the youth of Hawaii. We have a we have an education program.

We're out there three or four at least two or three times a week, in the schools themselves. So we do a lot of this education and outreach anyway. In terms of developing a curriculum or something like that, we we don't feel, like, we we're the right, agency to do that. For instance, there I guess there are there are certain things in the resolution itself I wasn't completely clear on.

Like, it's developing this program that says, quote, that assists with public education outreach and reef safe sunscreen awareness at state beaches.

So it's kinda confusing whether we're developing a program that does public education outreach and reef safe sunscreen oh, sunscreen awareness at the beaches or if we're getting the students to do this or, you know, impact just a little confused exactly, like, what the program exactly is and how we would implement it. And we, you know, we we have educational I won't say curriculum. We have presentations we do. Often, these will can last just an hour or two, a few hours for a group of students.

But in terms of, like, a long term, like, a semester long curriculum or something like that, not really sure if we're the right department to develop that.

However, we can collaborate and, you know, help with that.

So for in your testimony, on the reporting part, you are supportive of the information on the status of reefs, key issues, and threats that you need specific to that and on recommendations for reef safe practices?

Absolutely. And we can provide all that information.

Okay. Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Sure. Quick question. Yes, please. Go on there.

The resolution states, though, that it's requesting that a program be set up. How how is that? And you're saying that you already have programs right now in the DOE, so wouldn't it make more sense for you to take the lead as opposed to the department?

Yeah. So and I I can't speak for whether we have problems with DOE. I'm sure we do work with and I I apologize. I'm not in that program itself at DARP, and maybe DOE might even know a little better.

But that's what you just said. You said you have programs within the Department of Education.

What I meant to say is we have programs where we do go to schools. We we do classroom activities. So and I I assume those are in collaboration with DOE. I just or in some in some way. Usually, those are however, usually, a lot of those are per request.

For instance, we might be doing an outreach event somewhere, and a teacher will be there and ask us to come to her classroom, and we absolutely will do that. So it's more I think, generally, it's more like that. We get sort of random requests rather than a a pro programmatic way of doing it. But, again, I I and I'm sorry if I'm coming across combative. We are very much we we very much support this and want to, you know, continue to educate our our students.

So but I with our current burdens right now on staff and with reports, and we we would, hopefully, we would hope to not have to take on that extra problem.

Thank you. Thank you, chair. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Members, any other questions? Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Aloha mai kakou. Heather McMillan, Urban and Community Forester with DLNR. We stand in strong support of this measure.

Let's move on to the next tandem measures agenda, HCR 91, HR 83, requesting the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Department of Education to collaborate to establish a formal long term collaborative program to expand equitably, distribute, and sustain free canopy coverage across public schools statewide. So first up, we have DLNR in support.

We're happy to answer any questions that could be answered.

Okay. Thank you so much. Next up, we have Department of Education, authoring comments.

Good afternoon, chair, vice chair, members of the committee, Jesse Souki, deputy superintendent of operations. We offer comments and stand on our testimony. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you so much. Next up, we have Hawaii Public Health Institute in support.

Hello, chair, vice chair, and committee members. My name is Chris Kauff. I'm from Hawaii Public Health Institute. We're in support of this resolution. We have been working on heat related illness for students all session long, really all year long.

There as you all know, it's getting a lot hotter out there. There are studies that show that an asphalt playground can reach actually up to a 150 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the asphalt itself. But shade trees can reduce temperatures by 20 to 40 degrees, and there's actually research that shows that a single tree within its tree canopy spread can reduce temperatures by four to 10 degrees.

There was a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research that analyzed 10,000,000 US students, one of the biggest, studies of US public school students, nationwide, and it found that for every one degree increase in temperature, you have over 80 degrees.

You see about a single percentage drop in student growth percentile. As you all know, the hot temperatures reduce attention, memory, and concentration, which impacts academic learning. And also shaded outdoor environments encourage physical activity. Shade reduces heat stress and improves thermal comfort, which means that children can play outside longer, get more physical activity.

It allows them to remain out active out outdoors for longer periods, which improves their physical health and mental well-being, even their academic performance, because they're able to learn better when they're able to be more active, be more healthy, and are aren't exposed to extreme heat.

So, we'd like to say that trees are not just landscaping, they're essential climate infrastructure, and so we hope that we will move this resolution forward.

Thank you so much. Members, we also have supportive testimony from the Kaolunani urban and community forestry program advisory council and one individual. And anyone else wishing to testify on HCR 91 HR 83? Okay. Seeing none members questions?

Seeing none, let's move on to the final measure, HCR 183. Each each year one eight three. We have department of a board of education in support.

Hey. Aloha, chair, vice chair, and members, Capsun Poe, executive director, on behalf of the board. The board does stand on its written testimony in support of the Brezo, and we do know that the board actually, a year ago, did pass its own resolution to support this exact same effort.

Great. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Next up, we have Department of Education offering comment.

Good afternoon, chair, vice chair, members of the committee. Jesse Souki, deputy superintendent of operations. We stand on our testimony with comments. Thank you.

Thank you so much. We have Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women in support. Maia Zinni.

Hi, everyone. Good afternoon. Yasmin Shaney for the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women. We stand on our written testimony in support of this resolution as immigration enforcement actions can negatively impact students and their families, creating barriers to education, safety, and stability. We thank the committee for their consideration and support.

Thank you so much. We also have Hawaii Public Health Institute in support.

Hello again, chair, vice chair, and committee members. I'm Chris Kauff from the Hawaii Public Health Institute. We're in strong support of this resolution. All students, regardless of their immigration status, will be able to access quality education. As you've heard all session long, there's been a fourfold increase in ICE enforcement activities in Hawaii.

The data is clear and it is abundant on what ICE enforcement does, on, our public school system, nationwide and here in Hawaii. There was a 2025 study by Stanford University that showed that immigration rates were associated with a 22% decrease or increase rather in student absences. There was a 2025 analysis published by the journalist resource that found that enforcement crackdowns in 2025 led to measurable declines not just in, not just in, absent or or increases in absenteeism, but also declines in student performance across multiple states.

There's also a ton of research that shows what the impact on mental health for students is, which is something that we're trying to take very seriously at the institute. There's an EdWeek Research Center survey that showed that nearly half of educators who are working with migrant populations across our country have reported that students are expressing fear and anxiety due to immigration enforcement, and about one quarter reported reduced attendance from student or student disengagement in the classroom.

And finally, you know, psychological toll on students is massive. According to child development experts, immigration rates are taking a terrible toll on our our our children's health. The proximity enforcement, to school environments is really the key issue here. And just our educators and our children are afraid that immigration enforcement could occur in their communities, and that's sufficient to disrupt attendance, which disrupts learning and disrupts student well-being. Protecting our schools from the harms of immigration enforcement is a matter of civil rights and educational accountability.

In another role, not with the Health Institute, I serve as the president of an organization called Immuno Alliance that works with migrant children. I can tell you, we're having a hard time even getting prevention education into school communities statewide right now because so many schools are worried, that migrant, survivors of exploitation will be reported, and be subject to deport deportation as well as their families. Fear has no place in our schools. We should enshrine that promise in public policy. Thank you so much.

I hope we move this measure forward.

Thank you so much. We have testimony in support from Roots Reborn Maui. We also have testimony and support from ACLU. Also, testimony and support from five zero five zero one Hawaii and General Strike Hawaii. And we have one individual on Zoom in support, Christine Andrews.

Aloha, chair, vice chair, members of the committee. Christine Andrews. I am a know your rights educator based on Maui. I engage in know your rights education statewide that has included educating school administrators, school staff, and community members. I'll stand on my written testimony.

I just want to respond in part to the DOE's comments about they have guidance in place. I reviewed their guidance. The training I think that we're looking for is something a little bit more comprehensive for how do we respond as a school not just like what does the administration done but how do we prepare students? How do we contact parents to alert them? How do we handle student pick up or drop off if there's concerns about ice?

So I'm a volunteer. I'm happy to work with the department and help them prepare a more comprehensive training.

Thank you so much. Members, we also have testimony from two under two other individuals in support. Anyone else wishing to testify on HCR 183? In person or online? Okay.

Seeing none, members questions? Question, chair.

Do you have a good, please? Yourself. Very good for today. Thank you for being here, Mr. Souki. As a part of the whereas clauses, it says that at Kona Wainwright Ellen Ritchie School in Kona, there was a student that was removed from campus, handed over to the federal authorities, and then was deported. I did not hear that, but did that actually happen?

I did not hear that, but did that actually happen? No. I don't know the details of it, and I don't wanna speculate, but Okay.

So Yeah. Yeah. This is actually before deputy Souki came on board. So it did happen this past summer. The student was not deported and was not on school campus.

It was all off campus when this happened. So this was reported in the newspaper. I think some of the details was sort of erroneously reported, and we tried to get a correction out to the newspaper, but it was not taken at the time. It did not happen on school campus at all.

Thank you. Thank you, chair.

Any other questions, Amber? Yes. Okay. Seeing none, we're gonna recess for DM. Recess.

Thank you. K. Members reconvening the committee on education for our resolutions today. We are going into decision making for the first measures on the agenda in Tandem, h t r 13 h d one and HR 15 h d one. Recommendation is to revert back to the original title and language, not all the language, but just to make the DLNR, who we believe is better positioned as they are the subject matter experts, to be the lead in submitting this report.

We will continue to keep DOE and Public Charter School Commission as collaborators in collecting this data. And if we can take the testimony from DLNR, that they're more positioned to provide information on the status of Hawaii's coral reefs, key issues, and threats, facing them as well as providing recommendations for reef safewall practices. And that is it. Members, comments, questions, or concerns? Seeing none, chair for the vote.

Thank you, chair. Members for voting on HCR 13, HD one, HR 15. Recommendation is to pass with amendments. Chair and vice chair vote aye. Representative Amado.

Aye. Representative Vestland. Aye. Representative Garrett. Aye.

Representative Coppella. Aye. Representative Kila. Aye. Representative Olds.

Aye. Representative Moore Olga. Aye. Representative Souza.

Aye.

Chair, your recommendation is adopted.

Thank you, chair. Next, 10 measures on the agenda, HCR 91, HR 83. For this one, members, we are going to pass as is. Comments, questions, concerns? Seeing none, chair for the vote.

You, madam chair. Members voting on HCR 91, HR 83. The recommendation is to pass and amended. Chair and vice chair vote aye. Members, are there any reservations or no's?

The recommendation is adopted.

K. Thank you, chair. Okay. Final item on the agenda, h tier one eight three. For this members, this is a very important, matter and topic to the committee.

You know, we didn't have enough time to work on working with all of the agencies, especially looking at some specific definitions and how it would be enforced. And so I think we do want to continue to work with the department as well as with the board of education on the guidance that was drafted and developed by the department to make sure that there are provisions in this resolution that will be included in there as there are still some outstanding questions.

But at this time, we are going to defer HDR 183. Okay.

At this time, that's it. Thank you so much, Monroe, for being here today. We are going to touch