THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            70
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

  REQUESTING PREPARATION OF AN ARCHITECTURAL PLAN WHICH INCLUDES
    THE PARTICIPATION OF THE COMMUNITY PRIOR TO ESTABLISHING
    MIDDLE SCHOOLS.



 1        WHEREAS, there is a movement by public school officials to
 2   establish more middle schools by combining the sixth grade with
 3   seventh and eighth grades, however, parents and guardians of
 4   students who may be affected have not been informed of this
 5   plan and have not had an opportunity for input and discussion;
 6   and
 7   
 8        WHEREAS, there is concern as to the types of programs that
 9   will be offered to sixth grade students when they are
10   integrated with intermediate grade level students; and 
11   
12        WHEREAS, the population of students in elementary schools
13   will decline as a result of sixth graders leaving; and
14   
15        WHEREAS, currently the sixth grade students in elementary
16   schools are role models and leaders who perform important
17   functions such as producing the school newspaper; and
18   
19        WHEREAS, the elementary schools will lose teachers,
20   educational assistants, clerks and resource teachers as a
21   result of combining sixth grade with seventh and eighth grade;
22   and 
23   
24        WHEREAS, there is a need for the Department of Education
25   to understand the needs and programs that are necessary for
26   middle school students and parents; and 
27   
28        WHEREAS, the roles and responsibilities of the Governor
29   and Legislature are to adequately fund the Board of Education
30   and the Department of Education endorsed public educational
31   programs; now, therefore, 
32   
33        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
34   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1999, the House of
35   Representatives concurring, that the Board of Education shall

 
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                                  S.C.R. NO.            70
                                                        
                                                        


 1   direct the Department of Education to develop an architectural
 2   plan with the involvement of the community prior to
 3   implementing a policy mandating the establishment of middle
 4   schools which combine the sixth grade with seventh and eighth
 5   grades; and
 6   
 7        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Education shall
 8   direct the Department of Education to ensure that the plan: 
 9   
10        (1)  Ensures grade school programs are unchanged and
11             student/teacher ratios are strictly met or exceeded
12             for each grade school classroom, even when the
13             student population of a grade school decreases with
14             the elimination of the sixth grade; 
15   
16        (2)  Mandates that the required student/teacher ratios are
17             strictly met or exceeded for each middle school
18             classroom; 
19   
20        (3)  Determines the increased costs, if any, that will
21             result from creating middle schools; and
22   
23        (4)  Includes a budget proposal to be presented to the
24             Legislature for funding to implement the plan; 
25   
26   and 
27   
28        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor and the
29   Legislature will be responsible for funding the proposals to
30   establish middle schools in Hawaii;
31   
32        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
33   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Board
34   of Education, and the Superintendent of Education.
35   
36 
37 
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39                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________