STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2895

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1676

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1676, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Executive Office on Early Learning to enter into agreements with the Department of Education and charter schools for the use of vacant or underutilized classrooms for use as public preschools.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning, Department of Education, Department of Health, University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, Kualapuu Public Conversion Charter School, Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children, Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hookakoo Corporation, Kamehameha Schools, Early Learning Advisory Board, Castle & Cooke Hawaii, Hui for Excellence in Education, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Democratic Party of Hawaii, Good Beginnings Alliance, Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture, The Pacific Resource Partnership, Hawaii Community Foundation, Hawaii State Teachers Association, IMUAlliance, and sixty-eight individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the significant, long-term benefits realized through investments in high-quality, early learning systems have been proven through decades of research.  Your Committee also finds that the Department of Education and several charter schools may have facilities and highly qualified professionals that can provide Hawaii's children with access to public preschools.  This measure will direct the Executive Office on Early Learning (Office) to enter into agreements with the Department of Education and charter schools to provide students with the opportunity to attend a public preschool and ensure greater school readiness prior to entering kindergarten.  In many of our communities, public preschools will play a critical role as part of a mixed delivery system, given the lack of access to private preschool providers.

 

     The Office has already identified thirty-two classrooms in thirty schools statewide to operate public preschool programs.  These programs will be operated and supported by Department of Education teachers and staff and will serve approximately six hundred forty children.

 

     Your Committee further finds that several charter schools have space available to operate public preschool programs.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying that the Office may enter into agreements with the Department of Education and charter schools for the use of available classrooms, rather than requiring the classrooms to be vacant or underutilized;

 

     (2)  Adding language requiring the Office to enter into agreements with no more than five charter schools for the use of available classrooms for public preschool programs through June 30, 2019;

 

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (4)  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 H.B. No. 1676, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1676, H.D. 1, 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,

 

 

 

____________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair