New Hawaii Board Of Education All Business

The first meeting of Hawaii's new appointed Board of Education conspicuously lacked fanfare, lei and celebration.

Chairman Don Horner's first words on convening the meeting Tuesday were, "We are running seven minutes late, and that's not my style."

His statement set the tone for a no-frills, all-business affair that — even with orientation — lasted barely six hours. After orientation, the general business meeting itself lasted about an hour and a half, compared with board meetings of yore which sometimes lasted six or seven hours, or even longer.

"We know it's not always going to be like this," said board member Keith Amemiya, acknowledging that there will inevitably be days when public testimony floods in and board discussion drags on.

Tuesday, though, business moved at a fast clip. During orientation, Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi's broad overview of the department's structure and responsibilities was interrupted only by questions that got into deeper detail than she had planned.

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