New Law Allows Schools to Sell Goods
By: Jordan Segundo, KITV; 07/08/18
Schools can now be “open for business” thanks to a bill spearheaded by Waianae High School. Senate bill 2051 is slated to become law on July 10.
The bill allows individual Department of Education schools and programs operated within a school, to engage in commercial enterprises, including the sale of goods produced by students.
Current laws prevent schools from selling more than $25,000 in goods or services.
The new bill removes this cap, and creates an outlet for all schools to engage in business enterprises which will generate much needed funds for their schools.
Waianae High School educators encouraged their legislators to turn the bill into law.
“Now you’ll have the marine science learning center being able to market and sell their shrimp, mullet, ogo, kalo, and sun fish on the open market. And then funds will go directly back into the program, which of course the school desperately needs,” said Senator Maile Shimabukuro (D) Kalaeloa-Honokai Hale-Ko Olina-Waianae Coast.
“My hope for the students is that we create employers rather than employees,” said Rep. Cedric Asuega Gates (D) Maili-Waianae-Makaha. “I believe a lot of them will go off to be small business owners, to provide for our community the services and goods that we get outside our community.”
