STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3206

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2257

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2257, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SUPERINTENDENT'S SALARY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to adjust the salary cap of the Superintendent of Education.

 

In addition, this measure subjects the Superintendent to an annual performance evaluation based on outcomes determined by the Board of Education.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hui for Excellence in Education and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.

 

     Your Committee finds that the salary of the Superintendent of Education has not been adjusted since 2000 and that the current salary of the Superintendent of Education is well below the national average for superintendents of similarly sized school districts.  An adjustment in the salary cap of the Superintendent will not only adequately compensate the Superintendent for meeting the rigorous demands of the position but will also reflect the State's commitment to the value of education.  Your Committee finds that the implementation and administration of a child's education is a vital public interest and that this measure will help to attract and retain the most qualified and capable individuals for the position of Superintendent, as well as make us competitive with our mainland counterparts.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the salary cap of the Superintendent of Education to an unspecified amount to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

 

     Your Committee notes that the Board of Education should continue to use evaluation criteria, especially student achievement criteria, to determine whether the Superintendent of Education deserves a raise.  Your Committee recognizes that the Board of Education needs flexibility in establishing the evaluation criteria, but believes that at least one criterion should be student achievement.  While it is your Committee's intent that student achievement be included as one criterion for evaluation, this intent should not be construed as limiting evaluative criteria only to student achievement.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2257, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2257, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair