STAND. COM. REP. NO. 557

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 171

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Education and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 171 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to create a county education task force to establish a process for the transfer of jurisdiction over all public schools that are located in a county with a population greater than five hundred thousand, including all state public education functions and funding, from the State to the county.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu and one individual.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of the Governor, Department of Education, Board of Education, and Hawaii State Teachers Association.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, Legislative Reference Bureau, and Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus.

 

     Your Committees find that funding for public education in Hawaii is primarily sourced from the general fund of the State.  Because providing adequate funding for public education statewide has become a challenge, establishing a county education task force to look at the possibility of transferring jurisdiction over public schools from the State to the counties will allow the task force to gain a better understanding of school financing and jurisdiction.  This measure allows for collaboration amongst all levels of the educational network to improve financing mechanisms for public education and school governance that will better improve the overall education system in Hawaii.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Expanding the scope of the process created by the county education task force for the transfer of jurisdiction over all public schools from the State to the county in which the public school is located to include all counties; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 171, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 171, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair