Report Title:
School Priority Special Fund.
Description:
Creates the school priority special fund to enable principals at public schools to have a source of discretionary funding.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
292 |
TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to the school priority fund.
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 an increased ability to expend discretionary funds. This would encourage schools to become more engaged in their finances and allow schools greater flexibility in purchasing needed educational supplies, equipment, and books.
The legislature further finds that schools nationwide and locally are faced with fiscal shortfalls that make it very difficult to operate effectively. The Federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has many requirements that schools must contend with, making it that much more difficult to direct funds where they are most sorely needed. In particular, schools are often forced to go without supplies, equipment, and books, and are forced to cut funding for supplementary programs in the absence of available funds.
Enabling principals to have moneys at their discretion would alleviate these problems, by allowing schools to acquire needed supplies, equipment, and books in a timely manner, and as necessary for each school. Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Create the school priority special fund to provide moneys to be used at the discretion of each public school principal to purchase supplies, equipment, and books; and
(2) Require the department of education to create accounts for each public school into which shall be deposited moneys from the fund, which may be accessed as necessary by each school's principal.
SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§302A- School priority special fund. (a) There is established in the state treasury the school priority special fund into which shall be deposited:
(1) Appropriations by the legislature;
(2) Donations or contributions made by private individuals or organizations for deposit into the fund; and
(3) Grants provided by governmental agencies or any other source.
(b) The department shall administer the special fund and shall establish one account for each public school into which shall be deposited moneys from the special fund to be used at the discretion of each school's principal to purchase supplies, equipment, and books for the principal's school."
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004 to be deposited into the school priority special fund.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the school priority special fund the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004 to provide discretionary funds to public school principals for supplies, equipment, and books.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.
INTRODUCED BY: |
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