STAND. COM. REP. 1117

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 17

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 17, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Require children entering kindergarten at public schools to be five years old before October 16th beginning with the 2005-2006 school year, and before August 1st beginning with the 2006-2007 school year; and

(2) Use any cost-savings achieved to expand or supplement early education programs.

The Department of Human Services, Hawaii State PTSA, League of Women Voters, and two individuals submitted testimony in support of this bill. The Department of Education and Seagull Schools, Inc., submitted testimony in support of the intent of this bill. The Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children and Good Beginnings Alliance submitted testimony in opposition to this bill. The Department of Budget and Finance, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and two individuals submitted comments on this bill.

Your Committee finds that raising the age for entrance into kindergarten is appropriate due to the cognitive development of young children and will enable them to benefit more from early childhood education.

Your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its contents and inserting the provisions of H.B. No. 335, H.D. 1. As amended, this bill requires a child entering kindergarten to be five years of age on or before September 1st of the year in which the child enters kindergarten beginning with the 2007-2008 school year.

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. 17, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 17, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair