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Hawaii’s new appointed Board of Education plans to dive right in at its first meeting with orientation, a tour of the Department of Education building, a brand new organizational structure and discussion of new bylaws.

This will also be the new board’s first opportunity to hear from the public.

The meeting of the body Senate Education Chairwoman Jill Tokuda refers to as the “Inaugural Nine” convenes at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, April 26 in room 404 of the Queen Liliuokalani Building. was posted online late Wednesday — right on time to comply with the notice requirements in Hawaii’s .

It is the first agenda, and board meetings to come may follow a different format, but a few items of note:

• This board is meeting early! The former elected board typically held its meetings in the afternoon so teachers, students and parents could be present without having to miss school or work.
• Chairman Don Horner appears so far to have come through on his promises to restructure the board’s committees and focus on finance, policy and structure. He outlines on the agenda four new committees, complete with chairs and vice-chairs, appointed by him. The committees focus on 1. Student Achievement, 2. Finance and Infrastructure, 3. Human Resources, and 4. Audits.
• The new board expects the Department of Education to prepare a new strategic plan that will be subject to board approval.
• The board is including the public in its orientation.