STAND. COM. REP. NO. 240

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 767

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 767 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to cover the costs of public high school students participating in high school graduation ceremonies.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Teachers Association. 

 

     Your Committee finds that although high school graduation is an auspicious and momentous event for students and their families, the high costs associated with participating in not only graduation ceremonies but also other graduation-related activities can deter participation.  Your Committee further finds that high school graduation signifies an important achievement and is a memorable time for many students, particularly those who do not continue to pursue post-secondary education.  Your Committee believes that assistance should be provided to public high school seniors to participate in graduation ceremonies or other graduation-related activities that they would otherwise be unable to participate in due to financial issues.

 

     Your Committee heard a related measure, Senate Bill No. 833, which provides funding for Project Graduation events throughout the State.  Your Committee understands that the graduation ceremonies and other related activities planned, such as Project Graduation events, can vary significantly in degree and expense.  In the interest of fairness, your Committee believes that it is appropriate to provide an equal amount of funds for each graduating high school senior that can be used for any and all graduation activities, regardless of the actual expense of the graduation activities planned for any school.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the language throughout the measure to provide funds to assist public high school seniors in covering costs associated with high school graduations and related activities; and

 

     (2)  Specifying that the amounts provided to schools shall be calculated based on the total number of high school seniors estimated to be graduating that school year on a per student basis.

 

     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. 767, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 767, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair