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Some Hawaii State Board of Education members want more time before they vote on whether to reduce the social studies courses required for high school graduation.

The proposal to reduce the number of required social studies credits from four to three has evoked public outcry in recent weeks in the form of testimony at Board of Education meetings, op-eds and other public commentary. The change would give students more flexibility to take elective courses aligned with their interests, Department of Education officials say.

The proposal is included in a package of recommended graduation requirement adjustments that the Board of Education will consider on Aug. 16. If passed, the changes would impact the class of 2016, or next year’s ninth-graders.

Brian DeLima of the Big Island urged his fellow board members and the Department of Education to slow down before making a final decision.

“The more I think about this, the more I think we need to think about this,” DeLima said during the board’s Student Achievement Committee meeting Tuesday. “The bottom line is, I think we’ve gotta go slow on this.”

Board members Nancy Budd and Charlene Cuaresma, along with student representative Angelica Lao, also voiced concern that the board might be moving too quickly on a decision that could have lasting impact on students.

Committee chairwoman Cheryl Kauhane Lupenui explained that the timeline for discussing and finalizing graduation requirements is so short because she feels the students who will be affected by them deserve to know early in the coming school year.

Deputy Superintendent Ronn Nozoe said that slowing down too much could mean graduation requirements never change, which in his opinion is unacceptable.

“You need to be really specific with the (Department of Education) about what you mean when you say ‘go slow,'” Nozoe said. “We could take forever, but with all due respect, no way. If we just say we’re going to go slow and take a long time, we’re going to take a long time.”

On one level, the proposed requirements would help Hawaii meet its Race to the Top objectives and keep it aligned with new national curriculum standards. But ultimately, this is really about Hawaii’s future, Nozoe said.

“This is absolutely critical, because we need to be clear about what’s expected of students,” he said. “What we’re doing here is talking about a college- and career-ready agenda, which is for each and every student. This is something we have to do for the state of Hawaii. It’s not about a political agenda for us, it’s about realizing if we don’t do this for the kids, our children will not have a chance at global competitiveness, good jobs or successful careers.”

DeLima said that while he agrees some of the proposed changes are less controversial and could be implemented immediately, he feels the department needs to take the time to thoroughly survey public school students about what classes they would take instead of social studies. And board members need more time to feel confident in their grasp of the issues at stake.

“I’m not sure what we have proposed is understood community-wide as something that makes sense,” DeLima explained. “There is no community understanding and consensus about why this is being proposed.”

Nozoe agreed that community perception about the changes could be improved, and he told the committee he will provide a report on why the credit flexibility afforded by the reduced social studies requirements is valuable for high schoolers.

Lupenui said the Aug. 16 vote can be pushed back if board members are not comfortable voting on the issue by then. The board will likely decide on that date if they’re ready to vote.