STAND. COM. REP. NO.2708

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 3018

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3018 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purposes of this measure are to:

(1) Replace the current Board of Education with regional boards of education and a statewide board of education composed of its members; and

(2) Establish an educational region commission to determine educational regions within the State.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's public education system is in need of a significant change to its governance structure, which continues to be plagued with problems. Therefore, alternative organizational structures should be seriously considered and bold new steps need to be taken to improve quality, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Your Committee is aware of other measures that propose structural changes to the public education system and has recently adopted the concepts proposed in Senate Bill No. 2102, S.D. 1, which:

(1) Establishes district boards of education throughout the State comprised of elected members to formulate educational policy within their respective educational districts;

(2) Provides that a nonvoting student member of the district and statewide boards of education shall be selected as provided by law; and

(3) Replaces the current elected statewide board of education with a statewide board comprised of the member representatives of the district boards of education to formulate statewide educational policy, appoint the superintendent of education, and ensure fair and equitable funding to each educational district.

However, your Committee believes that these concepts require further scrutiny as it proceeds through the legislative process.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure to operate in tandem with Senate Bill 2102, S.D. 1, by replacing its contents with provisions that:

(1) Designate seven educational districts within the State in which district boards of education shall be established;

(2) End the terms of the current members of the Board of Education and require an election of all members of the district boards of education at the 2004 general election; and

(3) Provide that this measure shall take effect when constitutional amendments to establish district boards of education comprised of members from educational districts are ratified.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3018, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3018, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair