REPORT TITLE: 
Appropriation; Hawaii Center
for Deaf and Blind
DESCRIPTION:
Makes an appropriation for the Hawaii Center for the Deaf and
Blind.

 
HB HMIA 2000-109
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     A BILL FOR AN ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE HAWAII CENTER FOR THE DEAF AND
   THE BLIND.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:


 1      SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds that the Hawaii Center for
 
 2 the Deaf and the Blind (HCDB), in operation since 1918, under
 
 3 various names, as a Department of Education school and center
 
 4 serving students who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind,
 
 5 partially sighted, or blind, is the State's only stand-alone
 
 6 special education school/center (not under any district, but
 
 7 under the DOE Office of Accountability and School Instructional
 
 8 Support).  HCDB provides significant continuum options for
 
 9 instructional services as mandated in the Individuals with
 
10 Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, PL 105-17) and Title 8, Chapter
 
11 36/56 (Hawaii Administrative Rules) for students in this targeted
 
12 group.  Under these mandates, HCDB represents an important
 
13 placement option for some of the students in the target groups
 
14 (on-site), while providing support services for districts with
 
15 other students in the target populations.
 
16      Dormitory living has been a critical part of the overall
 
17 success of HCDB.  While the number of on-campus students is
 
18 relatively small, their needs are intense, necessitating a
 
19 speical education school placement.  These students require more
 

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 1 than typical supervision to ensure their IEP-identified needs are
 
 2 satisfactorily met under IDEA.
 
 3      Since September 1996, under a homegoing program, the
 
 4 dormitory students fly home on Friday afternoons when school is
 
 5 finished.  They return on Sunday evenings.  Most students are
 
 6 attended by dormitory staff members to ensure students' safety
 
 7 when flying to their home islands and back to school.  Only 2
 
 8 Molokai students fly by themselves.  The homegoing program was
 
 9 established to ensure students have consistent contact and
 
10 interaction with their families, but still have access to the
 
11 most appropriate school program during the school week.
 
12      HCDB does not have a school bus large enough to transport
 
13 all the students and staff to the airport weekly.  Funds are
 
14 needed for contracting school bus service to transport students
 
15 and staff to and from the airport in the amount of $8,000 (40
 
16 weeks at $200 per week).
 
17      The funds in the amount of $78,4000 are needed for 22
 
18 students and 6 staff members each way for 40 weeks (including
 
19 Extended School Year, for which most HCDB students are eligible),
 
20 translates into 56 air coupons per week or 2240 coupons per year,
 
21 at a price of approximately $35 per coupon.
 
22      If these students lived locally on Oahu and were transported
 
23 daily, transportation, at an average of $17 per day for 204
 

 
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 1 school days would cost the State $76,296.
 
 2      Two school-bus approved 15 apssenger vans are needed to
 
 3 enable personnel without CDL licenses, to transport students to
 
 4 various appointments and activities, including to and from the
 
 5 airport.  Vans would provide flexibility in scheduling that is
 
 6 not currently possible.
 
 7      The purpose of this Act is appropriate funds for the
 
 8 transportation and travel of HCDB students for weekend visits to
 
 9 their homes on weekends and the purchase of 15 passenger vans.
 
10      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
11 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $154,296, or so much
 
12 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2000-2001, for the
 
13 travel and transportation costs of HCDB students for purposes of
 
14 their weekend visits home on neighbor islands and the purchase ov
 
15 15 passenger vans.
 
16      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated by this Act shall be
 
17 expended by the department of education for the purposes of this
 
18 Act.
 
19      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.
 
20 
 
21                         INTRODUCED BY:___________________________
 

 
HB HMIA 2000-109