2014-05-01HEARINGTRANSCRIPT-CONNECTIONSCBESSSPP12-138

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their inception. First at HAAS at Kuokoa and finally Connections. My three children benefitted from charter school education, and I’m a passionate supporter of public education and the charter school movement. So, I would like to disclose that I am currently employed by Connections Public Charter School. I’m a program specialist/artist with the school’s makery program. This program teaches students from elementary through high school how to use 3-D autocad software and use computer numerically controlled or CNC machines such as laser printers, 3-D printers, and CNC mills. I have reviewed the criteria provided by the Hawai‘i County Board of Ethics and see no conflict of interest in serving on the Planning Commission in considering this matter. That’s HHC [sic], Section 2-84a. I have no substantial financial interest in Connections Charter School or specifically in building a new campus. I’m not a contractor or builder, and in no way profit from the Connections building project. I don’t presently and will not in the future work at the new campus. I have no stake whatsoever in the new campus. I’ll be 65 years old in a couple months and am planning on retiring in two years. Even if the ground were broken tomorrow on this project, I’ll be retired before the initial occupancy can be achieved. My familiarity with the school, its students, philosophy, goals, and principles would bring an understanding to the Commission that’s been absent thus far. That being said, there’s still some concern that I may show bias in this matter. I supported Commissioner Ishibashi last August when he discussed/disclosed his employment with UH Hilo in a matter that came before the Commission. He stated that there would be no conflict with his involvement--that he didn’t work in the geographic area of the project. I don’t think anyone here would question Mr. Ishibashi’s support of UH or his ability to remain impartial despite of community concerns that were disclosed at that meeting. I would appreciate the same consideration. But, in spite of this, I’ve been counseled by Corp Counsel that I should recuse myself. Before I do that, I’d like to talk about bias a little bit. Where I don’t feel like I’m biased, I feel, I don’t feel it’s biased to acknowledge facts. And the facts of this case are, some of them, that the traffic impact reports have given the project the green light. The Department of Water Supply has given the project a green light. The Planning Director has given this project the green light. Biological surveys have given the project a green light. Connections has met all the land use requirements and has always attempted to mitigate community concerns. These aren’t biases. These are facts. What a bias is, is to ignore these facts, and present findings that are inaccurate, unsubstantiated by qualified organizations, and sometimes downright inflammatory. One, Connections mandates specify that it’s an open enrollment school. They take anyone if there’s room no matter where they’re from. There are students in Connections from Honoka‘a. The use of the phrase—the continued use of the phrase—not intended to service the needs of the immediate community is inaccurate and demonstrates an ignorance of charter school models and is biased. Students attend charters because among other reasons, their curriculum is unique and meets the needs of these students. Another repeated phrase that we hear is that 50 percent of the Connections students come from Puna. That’s irrelevant and inaccurate. In the student body right now, there is a high number of students from Puna, but that’s not a bad thing. I’m from Puna. My kids are from Puna. Most of our elementary kids, the younger kids, are from Hilo, though. And I think that the further a school moves away from Puna, that, and these younger kids are the future of Connections, then there will be a higher number of people just because of travel difficulties. 2 EXHIBIT F