Aloha! KHON2 News did a story on our movement. Please click here to watch. Thank you to those who came to the Capitol to show support for the cause. It was a very positive meeting and we cannot let this movement fizzle!

• Rep. Gene Ward, Councilmember Tommy Waters, offices of Senator Stanley Chang and Senator Laura Thielen and DOE Facilities rep Glenn Okimoto listened to our slideshow presentation and agreed that cooling all classrooms across the state, not just East Oahu, needs to be an ongoing priority.
• The DOE confirmed that they will recognize as credible an electrical assessment performed by a privately hired state-certified electrician. Schools therefore, can bypass the long waiting list of obtaining a free electrical assessment conducted by the DOE under their Schools Directed AC program. 
• Mike Lovelin, Director of Construction of Highgate Hotels in Waikiki, has offered his services and his contact, Whiterock Electric Company, conducted a complimentary electrical assessment for both Koko Head Elementary and Niu Valley Middle School and both schools have been found to have sufficient infrastructure capacity for school-wide AC installation. Thank you Mike!
• DOE rep Glenn Okimoto admitted there were mistakes made in hindsight in their spending of the $100 million appropriated that was only able to help cool/abate heat of 1000 classrooms. About 10 percent of the dedicated solar AC systems they installed have since failed.
• DOE rep Glenn Okimoto confirmed the DOE is currently working on creating an operating budget to propose to the State Legislature -- unsure how much money they will be requesting for "cooling classrooms" at this point (Item needs follow-up).
• We proposed if the state grants funding for school ACs, can school districts be given increased power to accelerate AC install by avoiding the DOE's cumbersome procurement criteria and get their own private AC contractors (DOE Rep unsure. Item in discussion and needs follow-up).
• Strategies to get funding were discussed among the attendees: meeting with First Lady in the works, meeting with Senator Chang is scheduled for October 18th, discussion with Education Committee member Rep. David Hasham in development).
• Federal Funding inquiries: Gene Ward has taken action. We also attended Ed Case's Oct 4thTown Hall meeting to ask for federal funding (Ed Case urged us to continue efforts at the State level).
• Continue to raise awareness and urgency of this cause, including attending October's Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board Meeting to drum up support and putting this issue on the agenda. 
• Maggie's slideshow will be edited to 5 minutes and will be used to spread awareness and rally support at other neighborhood board meetings across the state.

We need to make this an ongoing pressing issue to keep the momentum going. Otherwise, we will be right back to where we started in April and May of 2020 complaining about our kids' hot classrooms again with no progress made!

If you know passionate parents in other school districts across the state who want to advocate this cause at their neighborhood board meetings and to pressure their State reps to take action, please have them contact me at meeganation@gmail.com.

And if you want to join our next meeting, we would gladly welcome you! Mahalo for your interest and support. 

Maggie