STAND. COM. REP. NO.1314

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 714

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 714, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Propose an amendment to article X, section 3 of the state constitution authorizing the legislature to establish regional boards of education that shall formulate regional educational policy, and to appoint regional superintendents of education as the chief administrative officers of their respective regions; and

(2) Establish the Educational Restructuring and Transition Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) within the legislature for administrative purposes, for the purpose of reviewing the structure of the Department of Education and related state government functions, and making recommendations to the governor and the legislature on consolidation of functions and transition to a regionally administered public school system.

Your Committees received comments from the Governor of the State of Hawaii and a concerned citizen.

Your Committees understand the public's frustration and dissatisfaction with the state public school system. Hawaii's single school district is the tenth largest school district in the nation.

Your Committees believe it is necessary to decentralize school administration to allow regional districts to develop educational policies that meet the individual needs of the district's children. Providing increased autonomy to regional districts, however, requires a fundamental change in the laws and to the existing organizational structure.

Your Committees note that the Governor envisions a system made up of at least seven locally elected school boards to replace the current education administrative system. In order for the legislature to consider restructuring changes of this nature, the Governor must develop detailed plans on this new elected school board system and submit them to the Advisory Committee for review. Upon submission of this detailed plan, the intent of your Committees is for the Advisory Committee to review and consider the Governor's plan before making its recommendations.

Your Committees amended the bill by:

(1) Deleting the language on page 2, lines 11-12 that read "in addition to the existing statewide board of education and state superintendent";

(2) Attaching the Advisory Committee to the Department of Accounting and General Services instead of the legislature;

(3) Requiring that the Advisory Committee convene no later than August 31, 2003; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 714, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 714, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair