STAND. COM. REP. NO.398

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1345

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1345 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize the Department of Education to allow home-schooled students to participate in public school extra-curricular and co-curricular activities.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of the Governor. Testimony in support of the intent of the measure was submitted by the Department of Education. Testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by The Hawaii State Teachers Association and The Ko'olau News.

Your Committee finds that while home-schooled students receive their academic education from a parent or family member, there may be insufficient age-appropriate social and athletic activities available to them. Your Committee further finds that while academic achievement is important to one's future success, social development and team-building skills offered through public school activities such as team sports and social clubs, are equally valuable.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring implementation by the 2004-2005 school year;

(2) Allowing the Department of Education to designate by rule the criteria and types of programs in which home-schooled students may participate;

(3) Clarifying that responsibility for transportation and liability to the State shall not be incurred for transit from the student's home to the activity site and from the activity site to the student's home; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and style.

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. 1345, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1345, 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