Question: Are political sign wavers allowed to park at public schools near where they wave campaign signs?

Answer: Not without getting the principal’s permission and paying fees, according to administrative rules.

“Generally speaking, parking on public school property is allowed only as it relates to school business or unless otherwise approved by the school principal. It is also protocol for all visitors of any public school to report to the office to sign in to maintain campus security and to ensure a safe school environment for students at all times,” said Krislyn Yano, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Education.

“In a broader sense, the use of Hawaii’s public school facilities is governed by Chapter 39, Hawaii Administrative Rules, which states that facilities shall be made available for public use as long as the requested activities do not interfere with normal school operations. Under ‘use of buildings by organizations for political purposes’ it states that when school facilities are used for campaign purposes, organizations shall pay the appropriate fees as a Type III user. Approval for use of school grounds would also require approval by the school’s principal or a designee,” Yano said.

You can read Chapter 39 at 808ne.ws/chap39; the subsection Yano cited is 8-39-11.

The hourly rent for parking (for one to 50 stalls) is $5 for lighted parking and $2 for unlighted parking, with a two-hour minimum, according to the Chapter 39 fee schedule, which you can read at 808ne.ws/feesched.

You asked your question as part of a longer letter in which you said that City Council candidate Tommy Waters parks at Kalani High School while sign-waving near the campus. Waters is running against Trevor Ozawa for the District IV seat.

The school is at 4680 Kalanianaole Highway, a high- traffic area near near where Kalanianaole joins the H-1 freeway. Adjacent intersections are popular spots for rush-hour sign-waving by numerous candidates each election cycle, and also a source of complaints by motorists who say the political tradition is distracting, potentially dangerous to drivers and sign-wavers alike, and that it especially worsens traffic congestion during Kalani High’s morning drop-off.

Waters said that he occasionally parks at Kalani High while sign-waving, to keep an eye on his truck, but will park elsewhere if necessary. “Sadly, five of our volunteers have reported their vehicles parked on nearby residential streets have been keyed while they campaigned with me, including while we sign-waved on Kalanianaole Highway. I also keep campaign signs and banners in the bed of the truck. I haven’t been told there’s no parking allowed at the school the few times I have been there, but if it turns out I’m not allowed to, I will find other parking,” he said in an email to Kokua Line.

We also emailed Ozawa, who said he never parks at Kalani High School and avoids sign-waving at intersections closest to campus. “We don’t sign wave near the school at all because I know, growing up in the district, how hard it is and always has been for parents, teachers, and students to get to school safely and on time through the already bad traffic. It’s for their safety and convenience to get to school on time that we don’t wave there. … I suggest nobody park at Kalani High School but instead on less traveled nearby streets if any campaign intends to wave there.”

Lastly, Yano confirmed that according to Kalani High’s principal, “there are currently no parking stalls being rented out on campus by any candidates. He also shared that security personnel patrol the campus during school hours to enforce parking rules.”

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.