Don Horner Leaving Hawaii BOE
The former chair steps down June 30, something he said he’d do a year ago when he resigned as Board of Education chair.
Don Horner is vacating another high-profile position in public service, but not because anyone wants him to resign.
Horner, who stepped down Monday聽as chairman of the board of the聽聽amid concerns over cost overruns, will leave the state聽聽on June 30.
Horner, a former BOE chair, said he told Gov. David Ige a year ago that he would only stay one more year to help the new board chart its course.
“I informed聽the聽governor聽last year that this聽would be my last year, and that we have an outstanding聽board,” he said. “Much聽work聽remains to be done, however. But we have a governor聽that understands public聽education聽who has demonstrated聽a commitment聽to public education聽over his entire聽career. It’s in really聽good hands.”
Ige said, “Don Horner did a wonderful job transitioning the Board of Education from an elected to an appointed board and helping to focus the board on student improvement.聽Don left the BOE in better condition than he found it and our students are better off for it. I thank him for his years of excellent service and wish him the very best.”
Horner’s term runs until the summer of 2017. His early departure will leave two vacancies on the BOE, possibly to be filled with interim appointments.
Last week the governor named two nominees聽to fill聽two other BOE seats.
Asked what he planned next, Horner wouldn’t say, except for this:聽“I聽do not intend to go back to volunteer聽government service very soon.”
