STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1231-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.C.R. No. 157
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Education and Higher Education, to which
was referred H.C.R. No. 157 entitled:

     "HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING AN ANALYSIS OF
     CURRENT AND COMPARATIVE PATTERNS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL
     FINANCING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the
University of Hawaii conduct a comprehensive analysis of Hawaii's
ability to fund K-12 education.

     In addition, this measure requests that the University of
Hawaii:

     (1)  Analyze the State's historical and current commitment
          to funding K-12 education;

     (2)  Identify potential peer states and districts that share
          commonalities on key education, demographic, and
          economic dimensions, such that these peers can be used
          for benchmarking and future comparative study;

     (3)  Recommend goals for levels of funding that represent
          adequate funding targets; and


 
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     (4)  Submit its findings and recommendations to the
          Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2001.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this
measure from the University of Hawaii, the Department of
Education, and one individual.  The University of Hawaii
testified that the Hawaii Educational Policy Center has already
gathered a team of University of Hawaii researchers to conduct
the necessary research.

     Your Committees find that public school financing data are
technically complex and, consequently, difficult to translate
into policy decisions and legislation.  The interpretation and
use of these data are complicated by the fact that antagonists
often misuse (and selectively use) these data to further their
respective agendas.  Rather than using public school financing
data for illumination, some antagonists use these data only for
support.  Your Committees find that the interpretation of public
school financing data must be apolitical.  Policy decisions,
which by their very definition are political, should be made by
elected officials, not researchers.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committees on Education and Higher Education that is attached to
this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose
of H.C.R. No. 157, and recommend that it be referred to the
Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Education and
                                   Higher Education,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
DAVID MORIHARA, Chair              KEN ITO, Chair

 
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