STAND. COM. REP. NO. 141

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1056

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1056 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to attract qualified teachers to teach in schools in high need areas by establishing an incentive program that provides incremental loan repayment for teachers serving in high need areas of Hawaii for up to ten years and a scholarship grant program for individuals in graduate education programs who commit to teach in a high need area of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education and Hawaii State Teachers Association.

 

     Your Committee finds that it is particularly difficult to recruit and retain teachers to staff schools in high need areas.  Due to the long term nature of student loans, the loan repayment program may attract a wide range of educators, from brand new graduates to teachers with several years of experience.  The scholarship grant program may attract individuals new to the field of education, but may also attract seasoned teachers who have dreamed of pursuing an advanced degree, but felt that the financial burden put it out of reach.  These incentives will staff high need schools with skilled and committed teachers.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the scholarship grant amount from an amount up to $5,000 to an amount up to fifty percent of tuition costs;

 

     (2)  Removing the requirement for annual reports to be published by September 1, 2016, and every year thereafter; and

 

     (3)  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 S.B. No. 1056, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1056, 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,

 

 

 

____________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair