Report Title:
Discretionary Funds for Public Schools; School Priority Program
Description:
Appropriates funds for public schools and school complexes to use at their discretion, pursuant to section 302A-1306, HRS, to purchase supplies, textbooks, and equipment. (SD2)
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
292 |
TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003 |
H.D. 2 |
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
S.D. 2 |
|
|
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 fiscal flexibility would encourage schools to become more engaged in their finances and allow schools greater autonomy in purchasing needed educational supplies, textbooks, and equipment.
The legislature further finds that schools nationwide and locally are faced with financial 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, textbooks, and equipment, and are forced to cut funding for supplementary programs in the absence of available funds.
Enabling schools to have moneys at their discretion would alleviate these problems by allowing schools to acquire needed supplies, textbooks, and equipment in a timely manner, and as necessary for each school.
The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds under the school priority program to be used at the discretion of each public school or school complex to purchase supplies, textbooks, and equipment pursuant to section 302A-1306, Hawaii Revised Statutes.
SECTION 2. 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 provide discretionary funds to public schools or school complexes to purchase supplies, textbooks, and equipment under the school priority program.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.