Report Title:

DOE; Facility Rentals; Commercialization and Advertising

Description:

Allows schools to permanently retain funds from rental of school facilities. Allows schools to accept commercialized equipment and supplies and sell advertising.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1365

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to education.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that while schools have been afforded greater autonomy in recent years, the quality of public education would be further enhanced if schools had the ability to generate more funding internally. In particular, local control would be enhanced and schools would be empowered if given the opportunity to seek out and expend discretionary funds. Additional sources of revenue would encourage schools to become more engaged in their finances and allow greater flexibility to fund programs of their choosing.

The legislature further finds that school complexes, which consist of a high school and the elementary and intermediate schools that feed into the high school, are fundamental organizational units for public education in Hawaii. More attention and funding need to be focused on school complexes, which track students through the educational process and ensure a coherent curriculum that follows a logical sequence from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Pooling resources between schools in a complex would encourage each complex to perform more effectively as a unit, and enable to each school to perform better individually.

A system that rewards schools by enabling them to seek out funding while benefiting the school complexes through shared resources would be very beneficial to public schools. There are a few areas in which all schools could immediately begin seeking funding. Public school facilities are routinely used by community groups and other organizations, and the schools and complexes could retain the moneys generated from these rentals. Another way schools and complexes could generate funds and obtain needed items is by accepting supplies and equipment with commercialized logos or selling advertising.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Establish accounts for each school complex and public school into which shall be deposited certain moneys generated by the schools;

(2) Allow schools and complexes to retain the moneys generated from the rental of school facilities;

(3) Require the department of education to accept supplies and equipment with commercial logos; and

(4) Allow schools to sell advertising.

SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A- Complex and school discretionary accounts; school rental fees; advertising sales. (a) The department shall establish one account for each school complex into which shall be deposited eighty per cent of all moneys generated by schools within the complex from:

(1) Rental fees collected from private organizations or individuals for the use of school facilities; and

(2) Advertising sold to businesses and other organizations.

(b) The department shall establish one account for each public school into which shall be deposited twenty per cent of all moneys generated by the school from:

(1) Rental fees collected from private organizations or individuals for the use of school facilities; and

(2) Advertising sold to businesses and other organizations.

(c) Moneys in each complex discretionary account shall be expended for instructional or any other supplementary educational programs at schools within the complex and shall be distributed equally between all schools in the complex. Moneys in each school discretionary account shall be expended by the school's principal for instructional or any other supplementary educational programs at the school.

(d) Each school and school complex shall submit to the department an annual report of all fees collected and deposited to the discretionary accounts and expended from the accounts.

(e) School rental fees shall include but not be limited to classroom, parking lot, auditorium, and dining room rental fees. The moneys in each school's account shall be expended at the discretion of the school's principal for instructional or any other supplementary programs at the school. Each school shall charge rental fees for school facilities according to the department's fee schedule.

(f) Public schools shall be allowed to sell advertising to companies and other organizations, including selling advertising space at sports competitions and other advertising space on school campuses. Moneys collected by schools from the sale of advertising shall be deposited to complex and school discretionary accounts pursuant to subsections (a) and (b).

§302A- Donated supplies and equipment; commercial logos. The department shall accept donated supplies and equipment bearing logos, trademarks, labels, or any other image or mark representing a commercial or noncommercial organization; provided that:

(1) The superintendent may establish rules limiting the use, size, and placement of any logos, trademarks, labels, images, or marks on donated equipment and supplies; and

(2) Any donated equipment or supplies shall conform to all federal and state laws and regulations and department rules."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________