Bill Could Provide $$ for Hawaii DoE

John Clark's daughter providing testimony to the House Finance Committee

​Aloha Friends and Family…
 
This past week, John H. Clark III and his daughter had the privilege of representing the Ewa Beach community (and the residents of Hawaii) when he and his daughter, a freshman at James Campbell High School, spoke in support of House Bill 745.  Below are the following:

1. John's daughter’s testimony;
2. John's testimony;
3. Status of the Bill;
4. Information on the lone House member who voted against the Bill
5. Synopsis of the bill;
6. Link to the SPECIFIC Bill

 
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JOHN CLARK'S DAUGHTER’S TESTIMONY:
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Good afternoon.  I am a Freshman at James Campbell High School.
 
This past weekend, my school, James Campbell, “hosted” a track meet at Mililani High School.
 
Imagine that: our facilities are so… bad… that we have host a track meet at another school.
 
That’s not the worst part… 
 
I was supposed to be in three races this weekend.  In my first race…
 
As I got into the starting blocks, the judge said, “On your mark! Get set!” and then POW! POW!
 
I heard the double-POP of the starter pistol.
 
Of course, all of the runners went back to the starting line to see what happened. 
 
The administrator came directly to me and said, “Lane 6, you’re disqualified. You had your fingers on the white line.” 
 
At first, I was shocked; and then I was mad.
 
I was disqualified… in my first race of the season because… guess what!?
 
We don’t even HAVE lines on the dirt cinder track at James Campbell High School. 
 
We don’t PRACTICE with white lines on our track.  
 
In fact…
 
It’s pretty much the exact same track that was there when our school was built in 1962.
 
They say you’re supposed to “practice like you play.”  At James Campbell High School, where my closest three thousand friends and I go every day, we practice on a dirt track; we use dilapidated locker rooms; and our star athletes play on a football field that was built in 1962.
 
With potential funding from sponsors and other possible advertisement, imagine the facilities we could have.  
 
Please vote YES on the future of the students in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.
 
Please vote YES on House Bill 745.  
 
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JOHN CLARK'S TESTIMONY:
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Good afternoon Chairperson Luke and legislators…
 
As the Vice Chairperson and Education Chairperson of the Ewa Neighborhood Board, I stand before you as a representative of a community that has transformed in size and scope over the last 15-20 years.
 
In its $2B budget request, the DoE has said that it’s CIP requests “must be critical and sustainable.”
 
In this growing economy, perhaps we should not rely solely on traditional funding streams to raise money to upgrade our schools and the infrastructure on which they are built.
 
Your constituents would like to believe that our legislators and the Department of Education are doing what they can with what they have.  But times have changed, and we need new, creative funding models.
 
In Ewa Beach – and other areas across the state - House Bill 745 could facilitate the influx of a substantial amount of sustainable funds.
 
Additionally, the DoE has stated that its mission is to serve our community by developing the academic achievement, character, and social-emotional well-being of our students to the fullest potential. 
 
Imagine growing up at the literally the largest public school in the state of Hawaii… with the dilapidated conditions… and visiting other high schools with state-of-the art facilities… imagine what that does the athletic achievement, character, and social-emotional well-being of our students… 
 
The number of people living in the Ewa Plain has exploded over the past decade… and, we KNOW that continued investment in our schools is something that is REQUIRED; it’s a need, not a want.
 
We support House Bill 745, specifically and especially for advertising at outdoor sports stadiums, arenas, and fields.
 
I am confident that all kinds of corporations would LOVE to get their brand name in front of not just the 185,000 students in the Hawaii Department of Education… but also the thousands of parents who attend every single sporting event.
 
As a community, I believe Ewa Beach supports the passage of House Bill 745.  Thank you.
 
~ John H. Clark III
 
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STATUS OF THE BILL: As of Sunday, March 3, 2019, the Bill passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Okimoto voting aye with reservations; Representative Perruso voting no (1) and Representative(s) DeCoite excused (1). Transmitted to Senate.
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INFORMATION ON THE LONE HOUSE MEMBER WHO VOTED AGAINST THE BILL, REPRESENTATIVE AMY A. PERRUSO:
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Representative Perruso currently serves in House District 46.  Her address is located at the Hawaii State Capitol, in Room 303.  Her phone number is 808-586-6700.  Her fax number is 808-586-6702.  Her e-mail address is repperruso@Capitol.hawaii.gov
 
I am not sure why she would vote against a Bill that could potentially add millions of dollars to the efforts to improve our state’s schools.  Representative Perruso previously served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Hawai'i State Teachers Association.  She was also a member of Gov. David Ige's Every Student Succeeds Act Team, which crafted a blueprint for the future of Hawai'i's public schools.
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Here is a quick synopsis of the verbiage of the Bill:
 
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that as the cost of education has increased, schools and government have increasingly salt alternative sources of funding. Many schools and school districts throughout the United States and the world have allowed schools to accept private contributions to lessen the burden on taxpayers. 
 
The legislature further finds that one common method of obtaining funding for schools is by authorizing schools to accept donations in exchange for the naming rights of something as large as a field or a building to something as small as a shelf in the library. 
 
The purpose of this act is to authorize this department of education schools, subject to approval by the superintendent, to accept donations in exchange for sponsorship naming rights. 
 
SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part VI, subpart A, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
 
302A - Sponsorship naming rights. 
 
(a) Notwithstanding Section 102-2, each school, subject to approval of the superintendent, may accept donations in exchange for the sponsorship naming rights of any school building, facility, equipment, or fixture. 
 
(b) There is established within the state treasury a special fund to be known as the school naming-rights special fund. The special fund shall be administered by the department and appropriate sub accounts shall be established for each school. All monies collected pursuant to subsection a shall be deposited into the corresponding school sub account and she'll be expended solely for the benefit of that school. 
 
(c) The department shall submit a report to the legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of each regular session that shall include all donations accepted pursuant to subsection (a) during the previous fiscal year, all naming-rights awarded purse went to subsection a during the previous fiscal year, and the amount of moneys in the special fund established purse went to subsection be at the end of the previous fiscal year.
 
(d) The department shall adopt rules purse went to chapter 91 to carry out the purpose of this section.
 
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EXACT verbiage of the Bill can be found at this link:
https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2019/bills/HB745_HD1_.pdf
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