DOE needs to explain why they ignored LUC

I was shocked and dismayed to read that Hawaii Department of Education Superintendent Keith Hayashi reportedly “apologized over the process and the decisions made regarding Kulanihako‘i High School, including the department’s handling of a nearly 10-year-old LUC condition that a grade-separated crossing, such as an overpass or underpass, be built prior to the school’s opening” (The Maui News, Feb. 10).

Several times during this 10-year period, the DOE sought to amend the condition of the grade-separated crossing, but the LUC denied those requests.

While ignoring the LUC condition, the DOE went ahead and paid $16 million for the roundabout. Deputy Superintendent Curt Otaguro said the funds were meant to expedite the building of the roundabout.

Additionally, although a contract to design the overpass still has not been awarded, the DOE stubbornly went ahead lining up a principal, hiring teachers and enrolling about 30 freshmen.

By blatantly violating the LUC’s condition, what are the leaders of the DOE teaching our students, their parents and the community in general?

Because their actions have caused great harm to the public’s confidence and will cost the taxpayers tens of millions to build the overpass 15 years later after the roundabout, I believe it would be most appropriate for the LUC to require Superintendent Hayashi and Otaguro to explain the arguments made to ignore the LUC condition and, instead, to build the roundabout.

For transparency, the names of the participating individuals should also be made public.

William T. Kinaka Wailuku