Testimony of Dennis Manalili, Principal, Kaimuki High School
Following is my testimony for the Hearing on Discussion of Labor, Health, and Education Issues in the State of Hawaii scheduled for February 18, 2004 at Kaimuki High School.
Senator Inouye, Senator Akaka and Members of the Subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to testify before you today in support of the 3R’s program’s recent authority to utilize Native Hawaiian education funds to repair those public schools with significant numbers of Hawaiian children. I am Dennis Manalili, principal of Kaimuki High School.
We are honored and proud that our school was selected for this hearing. On behalf of the students, faculty, staff and community, thank you for giving us this opportunity.
Since becoming principal of Kaimuki High School last January. I learned that the school’s was population was ethnically diverse. About 70% are Asian or Pacific Islanders, and in this group is the Hawaiian/Part Hawaiian population, which is about 18%, or nearly 250 students. I also learned that this school was built over fifty years ago. Like many fifty year-old buildings, there is a need to repair, remodel and restore our school to meet present standards. Our students need to learn in a facility that is on a level playing field as newer facilities, or facilities that have been constantly maintained and improved.
In September 2003, we had a backlog of over one hundred projects. Although this number is extremely high, there has been significant progress over the past few years. To help deal with the shortage of State funds, there has been several initiatives to reduce this backlog. One of them is using State Department of Accounting Personnel (DAGS) to renovate classrooms. The other is the Hawaii 3R’s Program.
I have learned that money saved is like money earned. After the first year, the projects completed through Hawaii 3Rs saved the state about 2.5 million dollars. Moneys saved from these projects could be used to provide quality facilities for quality instructors to run quality programs. For example, at Kaimuki High School, we have one librarian and two science teachers who are nationally certified. To provide our librarian and our science teachers with quality facilities, about one million dollars has been appropriated to prevent water leaks by replacing the air conditioners on the roof and to establish a science learning center.
This morning, members of the Appropriations Committee visited projects that were coordinated by Hawaii 3R’s. These projects included the painting of the school cafeteria, the swimming pool utility room and the music building in 2003,and the painting of the ROTC/ESLL building and nearby portable classrooms in 2002. If it was not for Hawaii 3Rs, in which there is a 3:1 “sweat to dollar” ratio, only one third on the projects would have been possible.
According to research conducted by Edmonds and Lezotte, effective schools are relatively safer, relatively cleaner, relatively more orderly, relatively quieter and so on. The differences between effective and ineffective schools were “relative”: the incidence of broken windows doesn’t discriminate, but the time it takes to fix the windows does. It’s clear that the broken windows don’t cause either elevated or depressed achievement: the relevance of the window is that it’s a stand in for adult attention to environment. A broken window that goes on for a long time without being repaired gives a message to everybody that people who are responsible for the place don’t care very much about it. Well, last year, nearly one hundred volunteers for our Hawaii 3Rs project showed that they cared, and many of them continue to support our school.
When I think of the Hawaii 3Rs program, I think of a television commercial. Cost of refreshments: $50.00. Cost of bentos for lunch: $500.00. Cost of paint and other supplies: $5000.00. Cost of lifelong supportive partnerships that actively support public education in achieving its vision: priceless.
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Subcommittee, honored guests: On behalf of Kaimuki High School and other schools and communities, thank you for your priceless support to achieve our dream of making Hawaii’s public schools something we can all be proud of.
