The Charter School Review Panel has voted to require Halau Lokahi Charter School to submit monthly profit-and-loss statements to demonstrate its financial viability, and will look into other concerns about the school's operations.

In response to its first financial audit, Halau Lokahi Public Charter School in Kalihi is working to fix accounting problems and repay its debts, and has removed family members from the local school board that oversees it.

The early word from the Legislature after the session ended was that Hawaii public schools took a $16.4 million hit in next year's budget.

After I learned that I would be able to give a speech for graduation I thought long and hard about what I wanted to say. I sat for a long time in front of a blank computer screen thinking about what piece of wisdom I wished to bestow upon my class. I Googled inspirational quotes and thought about some of my favorite authors, but couldn’t find anything that really spoke to me. I then realized that I was having so much trouble because I am in the same boat as all of you.