REPORT TITLE:
District Boards of Education


DESCRIPTION:
Proposes amendments to Article X of the Constitution of the State
of Hawaii to abolish the state board of education and replace it
with district boards of education that are elected at-large and
in a nonpartisan manner by the qualified voters of school
districts that are established by law.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           473
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT
PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE X OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
   STATE OF HAWAII TO ABOLISH THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND
   REPLACE IT WITH DISTRICT BOARDS OF EDUCATION THAT ARE
   ELECTED AT-LARGE AND IN A NONPARTISAN MANNER BY THE
   QUALIFIED VOTERS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND A STATE DIRECTOR
   OF EDUCATION APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to propose amendments
 
 2 to Article X of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to:
 
 3      (1)  Abolish the state board of education and replace it
 
 4           with district boards of education established by law
 
 5           who's members are elected at-large, in nonpartisan
 
 6           elections by the qualified voters of their respective
 
 7           school districts which are established by law;
 
 8      (2)  Empower each district board of education to appoint a
 
 9           district superintendent of education as the chief
 
10           executive officer of all the public schools in that
 
11           school district;
 
12      (3)  Empower the governor to appoint the state director of
 
13           education as the chief executive officer of the public
 
14           school system;
 
15      (4)  Empower the state director of education to formulate
 
16           statewide educational policies;
 
17      (5)  Empower a district board of education to implement,
 

 
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                                     S.B. NO.           473
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           through its district superintendent of education, the
 
 2           statewide educational policies formulated by the state
 
 3           director of education; and
 
 4      (6)  Require the Hawaii State Student Council to select one
 
 5           public high school student to serve as a nonvoting
 
 6           member on each district board of education.
 
 7      SECTION 2.  Article X of the Constitution of the State of
 
 8 Hawaii is amended by adding two new sections to be appropriately
 
 9 designated and to read as follows:
 
10                   "DISTRICT BOARDS OF EDUCATION
 
11      Section  .  There shall be district boards of education
 
12 established by law.  The members of each district board of
 
13 education shall be elected at large in a nonpartisan election by
 
14 the qualified voters of that respective school district.  Each
 
15 district board of education shall have the power, as provided by
 
16 law, to appoint a district superintendent of education as the
 
17 chief executive officer of all the public schools in that school
 
18 district; and to implement, through its district superintendent
 
19 of education, the statewide educational policies formulated by
 
20 the state director of education.
 
21      The Hawaii State Student Council shall select one public
 
22 high school student to serve as a nonvoting member on each
 

 
 
 
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                                     S.B. NO.           473
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 district board of education.
 
 2                    STATE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
 
 3      Section  .  The governor shall have the power, as provided
 
 4 by law, to appoint the state director of education as the chief
 
 5 executive officer of the public school system.  The state
 
 6 director of education shall have the power, as provided by law,
 
 7 to formulate statewide educational policies."
 
 8      SECTION 3.  Article X, sections 2 and 3, of the Constitution
 
 9 of the State of Hawaii are repealed:
 
10                       ["BOARD OF EDUCATION
 
11      Section 2.  There shall be a board of education composed of
 
12 members who shall be elected in a nonpartisan manner by qualified
 
13 voters, as provided by law, from two at-large school board
 
14 districts.  The first school board district shall be comprised of
 
15 the island of Oahu and all other islands not specifically
 
16 enumerated.  The second school board district shall be comprised
 
17 of the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Kahoolawe, Kauai
 
18 and Niihau.  Each at-large school board district shall be divided
 
19 into departmental school districts, as may be provided by law.
 
20 There shall be at least one member residing in each departmental
 
21 school district.  The Hawaii State Student Council shall select a
 
22 public high school student to serve as a nonvoting member on the
 

 
 
 
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                                     S.B. NO.           473
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 board of education.
 
 2                  POWER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
 
 3      Section 3.  The board of education shall have the power, as
 
 4 provided by law, to formulate statewide educational policy and
 
 5 appoint the superintendent of education as the chief executive
 
 6 officer of the public school system."]
 
 7      SECTION 4.  The question to be printed on the ballot shall
 
 8 be as follows:
 
 9      "Shall the state board of education be abolished and be
 
10      replaced by:
 
11      (1) a system which includes district boards of education
 
12      that are elected at-large in a nonpartisan manner by the
 
13      qualified voters of each respective school district; and,
 
14      (2) a state director of education appointed by the
 
15      governor?"
 
16      SECTION 5.  Constitutional material to be repealed is
 
17 bracketed.  New constitutional material is underscored.
 
18      SECTION 6.  This amendment shall take effect upon compliance
 
19 with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of
 
20 Hawaii.
 
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22                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________
 
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