STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2448

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2261

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2261 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish the education special fund and allocate twenty-five percent of general excise tax revenues to be deposited into the education special fund to fund public education.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii State Teachers Association, IMUAlliance, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Department of Education, Department of Budget and Finance, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii's public schools are severely underfunded.  At $12,855 per child, Hawaii trails mainland school districts of similar size when adjusting for cost of living.  This lack of adequate funding has resulted in an inability to repair and renovate deteriorating facilities, higher class sizes, a lack of adequate classroom supplies, elimination of arts and career and technical education courses, budget cuts for special education and English language learner programs, and an increasing number of vacant teacher positions statewide.  Your Committee further finds that a portion of revenues from general excise tax will provide much needed funding for the State's public schools and bring Hawaii's education funding policy closer to other school districts of similar size.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the purpose of this measure is to establish the education special fund and allocate twenty-five percent of the general excise tax revenue collected in addition to other sources of educational funding to be deposited into the education special fund;

 

     (2)  Inserting language that appropriates an unspecified amount of funds from the education special fund for the purposes of funding public education; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2261, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2261, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair