BOE to consider a delaying start of school year for students

The state Board of Education on Thursday will consider pushing back the start of school to Aug. 17 for students.

In a statement issued Monday, state Superintendent Christina Kishimoto said Department of Education leaders have been working with unions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure students get the education they deserve and employees have a safe work environment.

“We have continued these conversations and reached a conditional agreement (Monday) to propose a delayed start for students to accommodate concerns regarding employee training,” Kishimoto said.

“Throughout our discussions, we were mindful that any adjustments to the calendar must focus on educating and supporting students,” she continued. “We also acknowledge the voice of our families, partners and employees who are not represented by the unions yet are impacted by this decision.

“We will use this time to prepare at yet another level, but I recognize this comes at a cost for public school parents and our students. My expectation is that if the board approves the two week delay, that our labor partners will do an aggressive push to their members to be at schoolhouse doors on day one for our students.”

The BOE will hold a special virtual meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday.

Among the agenda items is action on revisions to the 2020-21 school calendar to allow for additional professional development days for teachers and staff at the start of the year and delaying the first day for students to ensure health and safety preparedness for schools.

Thousands of pages of testimony were submitted prior to a regular BOE meeting last week, wherein many teachers urged that more time was needed to better prepare for the return of students in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teachers are set to return Wednesday and students were anticipated to return Aug. 4.

In a press conference last week, the Hawaii State Teachers Association also called on state leaders to delay students’ Aug. 4 return to school, citing many unanswered questions surrounding the planned reopening and saying that more time is need to create a healthy and safe environment for students.