STAND. COM. REP. NO.1247

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: H.B. No. 14

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 14, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR ADDITIONAL SCHOOL CLERICAL POSITIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Education (DOE) for 312 full-time, temporary school clerical personnel to partially implement the recommendations of a 1990 school and district office clerical staffing study.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the DOE, Hawaii Government Employees Association, the Hawaii School Office Services Association, and Kalaheo High School.

Your Committee finds that there has been a significant increase in the amount of administrative, technical, professional, and paraprofessional work that must be done by school personnel as schools continue to work toward school based budgeting and greater accountability.

According to a study completed in 1990, there was a shortage of nearly 430 full time clerical staffers at schools under the jurisdiction of the DOE. That number has probably increased over the last decade. Therefore, your Committee fully supports the intent of this measure, to provide each school with adequate personnel to meet administrative mandates while still providing our students with a quality education.

Your Committee amended this measure by inserting a new section to require the DOE to prepare a report to account for the funds appropriated by this measure. The DOE's report shall contain current clerical staffing shortage figures, and a breakdown of the use of the appropriated funds. The report must be submitted to the Legislature before the convening of the 2002 regular session.

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, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 14, H.D. 1, 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,

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair