THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

61

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE AUDITOR to conduct a fiscal audit and the department of education tO CONDUCT A program AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S HAWAIIAN STuDiES PROGRAM.

 

WHEREAS, the Hawaiian Studies Program is a mandate of the 1978 Constitutional Convention that is implemented in grades K-6 in all public elementary schools to help students learn, understand, and appreciate Hawaiian culture, history, language, values, and practices; and

WHEREAS, the Program utilizes a kupuna (elders) component, which consists of community resource persons who have expertise in Hawai'i's cultural heritage and possess warm grandparental qualities, who assist classroom teachers in the delivery of Hawaiian Studies Program instruction; and

WHEREAS, many kupuna and makua are struggling to provide an effective Hawaiian Studies Program due to diminishing support from the State, thus, in an effort to remedy the situation and maintain the integrity of the Program, kupuna and makua have organized Ka Lei Papahi o Kakuhihewa, a taro roots organization, to ensure that the Program is a permanent component within the Department of Education system; and

WHEREAS, the kupuna and makua spend many hours preparing lessons each week for their students without any compensation; in addition, many of the schools are unable to spare funds for any of the projects, thus, the kupuna and makua pay for all of the supplies as well; and

WHEREAS, many schools do not implement the Hawaiian Studies Program in all grade levels (K-6), the Program curriculum is outdated and requires support and assistance by the Department of Education, and hiring practices have also been inconsistent; and

WHEREAS, "G" funding total allocation of $3,147,548 was provided under Program 16807, Hawaiian Studies, with authorization from Act 259, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001 (the General Appropriations Act of 2001); and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that there is a need to conduct a fiscal audit of the Department of Education's Hawaiian Studies Program to clarify why the Department asserted that there was no funding available for the program during the second semester of the 2003-2004 academic year, even though funding for the program was appropriated and should have been available; and

WHEREAS, the use of "A" and "B" funds has not been consistently implemented throughout the Hawaiian Studies Program, as there is evidence that some schools are paying the kupuna and makua at an education assistant rate rather than the part-time teacher rate, which is almost half the pay that the kupuna and makua are entitled to; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaiian Studies kupuna component is a very viable part of the perpetuation of the Native Hawaiian language and culture, and the Board of Education's support for the Program is an integral part of the Hawai'i Content and Performance Standards; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Auditor is requested to conduct a fiscal audit of the Department of Education's Hawaiian Studies Program, especially in relation to the kupuna component, to clarify why there are numerous inconsistencies in the delivery and implementation of that Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the audit is requested to include a review of the "A" funds for salary and the "B" funds for all other expenditures; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to cooperate with and provide assistance to the Auditor with respect to this audit; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is also requested to conduct a program audit of the Department of Education's Hawaiian Studies Program, to identify concerns and issues regarding the delivery and implementation of that Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor and the Department of Education are requested to submit findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature regarding their respective audits no later that twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Chairperson of the Board of Education, and the Superintendent of Education.

Report Title:

Auditor to conduct an audit of the DOE Hawaiian Studies Program kupuna component.