STAND. COM. REP. 2272

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2330

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2330 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allocate four additional teacher positions to Kapaa Elementary School for the purpose of maintaining their schools-within-a-school concept for fiscal year 2004-2005.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, the principal and a staff facilitator and parent from Kapaa Elementary School, and two residents of Kapaa, as well as testimony in support signed by two hundred and twenty seven teachers and parents from Kapaa Elementary School.

Your Committee finds that innovative education reform models like schools-within-a-school are effective means of creating the smaller learning communities so necessary for a student's academic, social, and developmental growth. As the largest elementary school in the State, serving over 950 students, Kapaa Elementary School is in particular need of programs creating smaller learning communities. However, a projected decline in student enrollment would cause a reduction in staffing that would make it impossible for the Kapaa Elementary School to continue its schools-with-a-school program. This should be prevented as it would eliminate an innovative program that is effectively serving Kapaa-area youth as a living laboratory of educational reform that may provide an important model for the restructuring efforts of other public schools state-wide.

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. 2330 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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