Sylvia Lee stepped down after 17 months on the state Board of Education, saying board leaders failed to provide openness, consistent procedures and answers to her governance questions.
Sylvia Lee resigned after 17 months, saying BOE leadership did not provide openness or shared accountability.
Lee said she received substantive answers to just 29 of 45 written questions about policy, procedures and governance.
She opposed a bylaw change giving the board chair sole authority to set the full board’s agenda.
Sylvia Lee, the Hawaii County representative on the state Board of Education, resigned and made the decision public after a Sept. 10 board meeting. Appointed by Gov. Josh Green in 2025 to a three-year term, Lee served about 17 months before stepping down.
In a resignation letter shared with the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Lee said her time working with the two people who lead the Board "were marked by a lack of openness and shared accountability," naming BOE Chair Roy Takumi and Executive Director Capsun Poe. She wrote that the pattern of how authority was exercised within the Board was not explained in writing and that she did not see consistent, transparent practices.
Chair Roy Takumi issued a written statement acknowledging Lee's resignation and saying the Board "remains committed to conducting its work openly and in full public view." He said the Board respects her decision and wished her well. Lee told the Tribune-Herald she shared detailed concerns with the governor, all Board members, and the executive director, and that she did not expect to leave quietly.
The BOE has had leadership turnover in recent years. The article notes that former Chair Warren Haruki resigned in March 2024 after less than a year in the position, which was the third leadership change in two years at that time. Lee's resignation now leaves Hawaii County without a representative on the Board that oversees the state Department of Education.
A representative for Gov. Green said the governor will seek nominations to fill the seat and make an interim appointment. Any interim appointment would then go before the state Senate for advice and consent during the 2027 session.
Lee has more than 40 years of experience in Hawaii education, including administrative roles at schools across the Big Island — Honokaa, Hilo, Keaau and Mountain View. When appointed, she said she wanted to work on initiatives such as the Farm to School Program and updates to graduation targets and expectations. She said she did not feel supported in her position and left hoping her departure would prompt change within the Board.
Lee's resignation highlights internal governance questions about how the BOE operates, who controls agenda-setting and how board leadership communicates with appointed members. The vacancy requires a gubernatorial nomination and interim appointment process ahead of Senate consideration in 2027.
Hawaii County’s representative on the state Board of Education, Sylvia Lee, recently resigned. Her departure was announced briefly during a Sept. 10 meeting of the board. The post Big Isle BOE member resigns, cites a lack of transparency appeared first on West Hawaii Today .
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