STAND. COM. REP. NO.888-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2032

S.D. 3

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2032, S.D. 3, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require that:

(1) Students entering kindergarten in public schools to be at least five years of age before October 1 of the school year, beginning with the 2005-2006 school year; and

(2) Funds saved through the implementation of this bill be used for various specified purposes.

Hawaii Congress of Parents, Teachers, and Students and several individuals submitted testimony in support of this bill. The Department of Education (DOE), Department of Human Services (DHS), and Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture submitted testimony in support of the intent of this bill. Good Beginnings Alliance, Hawaii Kids Watch, and two individuals submitted testimony in opposition to this bill. Hawaii State Teachers Association submitted comments on this bill.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Specifying that for the 2006-2007 school year, kindergarten students shall be at least five years of age before October 1 of the school year;

(2) Specifying that beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, kindergarten students shall be at least five years of age before July 1 of the school year;

(3) Requiring that beginning July 1, 2008, the funds saved through the implementation of this bill be used only for the Pre Plus and Open Doors programs; and

(4) Requiring DOE, DHS, Good Beginnings Alliance, and the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children to submit a report to the Legislature prior to the Regular Sessions of 2007 and 2008.

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. 2032, S.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2032, S.D. 3, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

 

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair