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kid that lives on a farm, they understand what the process is, they understand how life is carried <br />on. <br /> <br />ONO: So other than horses no other live animals? <br /> <br />THATCHER: Well, the vision would be for, you know, probably chickens, some other fowl, <br />maybe a few goats. But these would all be, these would not be free ranging. They would be, <br />you know, in areas where they are contained. <br /> <br />ONO: How would you, I’m sorry, if I may? <br /> <br />KERN: Commissioner Ono. <br /> <br />ONO: How would you compare yourself with that Maui Lahainaluna program? <br /> <br />THATCHER: I think the difference, well, I haven’t visited that. But from what I understand of <br />it, that’s a program where kids are actually living in the dormitories. So we had a student from <br />here that was attending our school that went there and was living in the dormitories. We would <br />not have our own students living in the dormitories. The dormitories only would be used for <br />visitors. And I think that, the other difference is they are more focused on traditional agriculture, <br />from what I know of them. But I do not know a lot about Lahainaluna’s program. <br /> <br />ONO: Thank you. <br /> <br />KERN: Thank you. And I would like to just make a friendly reminder to Commissioners that <br />are here that there’s a distinction between land use, and curriculum, and what the school is <br />actually going to do. And we are sitting here relating to land use. Good questions, nothing to do <br />with you. I just think it’s important that sometimes, you know, a motion, curriculum, everything <br />else overlaps on land use. I think it’s important that we maintain the land use side of it to the <br />best of our ability. Any other questions for any representatives? Commissioner Au? <br /> <br />AU: Thank you, Mr. Chair. How long has Connections owned this property, and when did they <br />purchase it, this property? <br /> <br />THATCHER: We have secured a 65-year lease on the property through the Board of Land and <br />Natural Resources. <br /> <br />AU: Okay. When did you start the process? <br /> <br />THATCHER: We started the process in 2006 actually. In 2006 there was a Charter School task <br />force that met and came up with recommendations for helping to develop charter schools. And <br />one of the recommendations is that the Board of Land and Natural Resources make lands <br />available to charter schools. So in 2007 we asked, requested the Department of Land and <br />Natural Resources to give us some properties that we could look at that would be potential sites <br />for the school. So we’ve been working on this since 2007. The actual lease was approved on, I <br />believe it was January 13, 2011. <br /> 16 <br /> EXHIBIT A <br /> <br /> <br />