STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1180

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 94

 

 

 

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.C.R. No. 94 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE COMMITTEE ON WEIGHTS AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO CONSIDER THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF REMOTE SCHOOLS WHEN REEVALUATING THE WEIGHTED STUDENT FORMULA,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Committee on Weights and Board of Education to consider the unique needs of remote schools when reevaluating the weighted student formula.

 

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

 

     Your Committee finds that remote schools are subject to unique circumstances that make them more expensive to operate, per pupil, compared to more populous schools.  The per pupil funding that accommodates the needs of most schools leaves remote schools with fewer staff than necessary to provide sufficient high school level courses.  Special funding considerations need to be made to ensure that remote schools are adequately staffed and capable of providing all the courses and services students need to graduate.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 94 and recommends that it 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