A bill to ensure that deaf educators and community members are involved in oversight of the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind passed its first hurdle at the Legislature on Friday.

House Bill 2421 would create a board of trustees — which would include people with expertise in deaf education and American Sign Language, as well as a parent and a graduate — to independently govern the public school.

A dozen deaf advocates pushed for the change at a hearing of the Committee on Human Services and Homelessness, which passed the measure. The school on Leahi Avenue, with 62 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, is overseen by the Honolulu District Office of the Department of Education under the direction of a complex-area superintendent.

Like a Hawaiian language immersion school, the school thrives when led by administrators fluent in American Sign Language, which is the first language of its students, according to written testimony from Brian Nakamoto, a teacher and alumnus.

“The problem here is our current Department of Education does not have a clear understanding of how bilingual-bicultural curriculum of American Sign Language and English work in our deaf school,” he wrote.

“We did have a deaf principal that worked with us from 2016 to 2019, we saw a golden age at HSDB. During that golden age, we assembled our robotics team, secured the spot as the co- host for West Regionals Academic Bowl competition to be hosted here in Honolulu for the first time, saw growth in our students’ Lexile and … academic performance levels, improved the morale among students and staff, and many more.”

But that principal, Angel Ramos, was abruptly transferred to a different school Aug. 1 and replaced by a principal who does not know sign language. The decision provoked an outcry and public rallies on Ramos’ behalf by members of the school community.

Under his leadership the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind had received national accreditation for the first time in its history, on July 1, through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Zachary Rest, a 2019 graduate of HSDB who is studying at Kapiolani Community College, told legislators what a difference it made for him when Ramos became principal.

“Finally … they hired someone to the deaf school that I could understand and communicate with, and I felt good,” Rest said. “A hearing principal doesn’t understand us or our feelings.”

Vice Principal Stephen Laracuente, who is deaf and fluent in American Sign Language, offered written testimony in favor of the bill. He plans to retire July 1 after 25 years at the school. Faculty are all certified teachers of the deaf and fluent in ASL, according to the DOE website.

The preamble to HB 2421 says schools for the deaf and blind in Colorado, California and Maryland also have independent oversight. The bill, which has 29 sponsors, will head next to the Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee.

It would create a nine- member board appointed by the governor, including two deaf individuals fluent in American Sign Language and knowledgeable about deaf education; a deaf-blind person or parent of a deaf-blind person; an alumnus of the school; a parent of a deaf child; and a deaf individual from the neighbor islands.

The unpaid board would be responsible for management and policy decisions for the school and report to the superintendent of education.

Committee Chairwoman Joy San Buenaventura said she would incorporate language proposed by the attorney general specifying that “policy decisions of the board of trustees shall be consistent with the policies of the Board of Education.”

The Department of Education did not take a position on the bill, but noted it has created a work group to improve and expand services to students who are deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind.

Ramos, now vice principal at Kalakaua Middle School, said he expects the principals union to file a grievance on his behalf. Department of Education spokeswoman Lindsay Chambers said, “Out of respect for our employees’ privacy, we cannot comment on any personnel matters.”