The state Board of Education voted in executive session yesterday to appoint Kathryn Matayoshi as interim superintendent while searching for a permanent replacement for Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto, who resigned effective Dec. 31.

Matayoshi, 51, who has been deputy superintendent, was serving as acting superintendent in the absence of Hamamoto.

The board also voted to give its chairman, Garrett Toguchi, the authority to form a committee to conduct a national search within three months.

The result of the vote for Matayoshi was 11-1, with the lone dissenter being board member Breene Harimoto, according to a school board official.

Board Vice Chairwoman Lei Ahu Isa said one of the reasons she supported Matayoshi as interim superintendent is because she was Hamamoto's choice as deputy.

  BOE Meeting Lacks Fair Representation

 

Board of Education let them vote on acting superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, but not TALK about anyone else.

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Isa praised Matayoshi for cleaning up licensing problems as director of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs from 1995 to 2002.

Isa and Harimoto said they were unable to talk about details discussed in executive session on Matayoshi's selection.

Isa said Matayoshi did explain what she planned to do as interim chief.

Asked whether the discussion and vote in executive session were violations of the state Sunshine Law, state Deputy Attorney General Holly Shikada said Hawaii laws provide an exception in matters related to the hiring of personnel.

State Office of Information Practices staff attorney Linden Joesting said she has taken a preliminary look at the Sunshine Law and that it also does not explicitly say a board vote must be made in public.

But Honolulu attorney Jeffrey Portnoy said Shikada's and Joesting's interpretations of the law are incorrect.

“;They've got to vote in a public meeting. ... You have a right to know,”; Portnoy said.

“;Even if you can come up with some bizarre explanation, how can you justify that to the public?”;

Portnoy said he would hope in the spirit of the Sunshine Law, the board would have the moral integrity to have a discussion about an issue as important as selecting an interim superintendent.

Harimoto said he has nothing against Matayoshi but was disturbed about the process that narrowed the selection to only her as interim superintendent.

“;We just stifled discussion,”; he said.