STAND. COM. REP. NO.  566

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 14

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 14 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to reduce the disparity in the number of student instructional hours received by students who attend different public schools by:

 

     (1)  Requiring that beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, all public secondary schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, must implement a school year that includes 990 student instructional hours;

 

     (2)  Repealing the requirement that for the 2016-2018 school years, all public schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, must implement a school year of 180 days that includes 1,080 student instructional hours for both elementary and secondary school grades; and

 

     (3)  Providing that "student instructional hours" are to be defined by the Board of Education in consultation with the exclusive representatives of the appropriate bargaining units.

 

     The Hui for Excellence in Education and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  IMUAlliance supported the measure with amendments.  The Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawaii State AFL-CIO, and numerous concerned individuals opposed the measure.  The Department of Education and several concerned individuals submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing all references to "student instructional hours" to "student hours";

 

     (2)  Restoring the requirement that for the 2016-2018 school years, all public schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, must implement a school year of 180 days that includes 1,080 student hours for both elementary and secondary school grades; and

 

     (3)  Making conforming amendments and technical, nonsubstantive amendments.

 

     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. 14, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 14, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair