THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2922

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014

S.D. 1

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 purpose of this Act is to establish a minimum number of days in the school year.

     More specifically, this Act:

     (1)  Requires the school year to be lengthened from one hundred eighty days to one hundred ninety days commencing with the 2015-2016 school year.  The legislature intends that the one hundred eighty-day requirement continue to apply for the 2014-2015 school year; and

     (2)  Repeals the minimum instructional hour requirements on July 1, 2014.  By this repeal, the legislature intends that the requirements no longer apply from the 2014-2015 school year.

     SECTION 2.  Section 302A-251, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§302A-251  School year; [instructional time.] minimum number of school days.  (a)  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, [beginning with] for the [2011-2013] 2011-2012 to 2014-2015 school years, all public schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year of one hundred eighty days, excluding professional development days and other non-instructional days negotiated pursuant to chapter 89.

     [(b)  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary:

     (1)  For the 2011-2012 school year, fifty per cent of all public elementary schools in the State, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year that includes nine hundred fifteen student instructional hours; and

     (2)  Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, all public elementary schools in the State, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year that includes nine hundred fifteen student instructional hours.

     (c)  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, for the 2014-2016 school years, all public secondary schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year that includes nine hundred ninety student instructional hours.

     (d)] (b)  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, [for the 2016-2018 school years,] beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, all public schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year of one hundred [eighty] ninety days, excluding professional development days and other non-instructional days negotiated pursuant to chapter 89[, that shall include one thousand eighty student instructional hours for both elementary and secondary school grades].

     [(e)] (c)  The board, in its discretion, may grant a waiver to any individual school [subject to the student instructional hours or one hundred eighty day school year requirements in this section.] for the requirement of subsection (a) or (b).  The board shall adopt policies and procedures to grant a waiver under this subsection.

     [(f)  For purposes of this section, "student instructional hours" means student learning time during which students are engaged in learning activities including regularly-scheduled instruction and learning assessments within the curriculum, and does not include lunch, recess, or passing time.

     (g)] (d)  The department of education, with the board of education and office of the governor, and in consultation with representatives of the affected collective bargaining units, shall submit to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, a report on its progress and efforts to meet the requirements of [subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d).] this section."

     SECTION 3.  Act 167, Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, as amended by Act 52, Session Laws of Hawaii 2011, is amended by repealing section 4.

     ["SECTION 4.  The department of education shall, with the board of education and office of the governor and in consultation with representatives of the affected collective bargaining units, submit to the legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2015, a plan to implement beginning with the 2018-19 school year, for elementary and secondary school grades at all public schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, a school year of one hundred ninety days, excluding professional development days and other non-instructional days negotiated pursuant to chapter 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, that shall include one thousand one hundred forty student instructional hours.

     For purposes of this section, "student instructional hours" shall have the same meaning as in section 302A-251, Hawaii Revised Statutes."]

     SECTION 4.  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 2014-2015 to the department of education to carry out the requirements of this Act.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.


 


 

Report Title:

School Year; School Days; Instructional Hours; Appropriation

 

 

Description:

Requires the lengthening of the school year from 180 days to 190 days beginning with the 2015-2016 school year.  Discontinues the requirements for minimum number of student hours effective at the end of the 2014-2015 school year.  Makes an appropriation to the department of education.  Effective 7/1/2050.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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