HONOLULU — A retired public school principal has withdrawn his application for state superintendent amid complaints that he had an advantage as a former Board of Education member and friend of Gov. David Ige.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that Darrel Galera announced Monday that he is no longer seeking the position. He did not respond to requests for comment, but offered an apology to Ige, Board of Education members and others affected by his decision.
“I have decided (to) withdraw my application so the search can continue without the distraction caused by my application,” Galera said in an email. “My overarching goal is to transform our education system to provide our students with educational opportunities that are second to none.”
Galera had announced last week that he was resigning from the Board of Education to apply for the schools chief position.
Shortly after he announced his intention, the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation said it was withdrawing a $50,500 grant it had awarded to help the board hire a search firm, saying they worried about the “integrity” of the search.
The board was set to formally initiate the search Friday but an announcement posted on its website said it was suspending its efforts following the foundation’s decision.
“We appreciate the support of the foundation and are hopeful that the issues can be resolved and the foundation can continue its support of a fair and transparent search for the Superintendent,” the board said in a statement.