Report Title:

Education; Principals Authority; School Community Council

Description:

Requires a principal to obtain the school community council's "review and recommendations" of academic and financial plans rather than its "review and approval" of those plans. Requires a council to ensure that those plans are "consistent" with educational accountability, rather than "aligned".

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

844

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to education.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Section 302A-1103, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§302A-1103 Principal; authority and responsibility. The role of the principal shall include but not be limited to overseeing the day-to-day management of the school, the primary function of which is to develop and deliver instructional services to students in accordance with statewide educational policy and to enable students to meet or exceed statewide academic standards. The principal shall:

(1) Ensure that the curriculum facilitates the achievement of the statewide student performance standards adopted for the public school system;

(2) Develop and present to the school community council for its review and [approval,] recommendation, academic and financial plans relating to the school;

(3) Exercise authority over the implementation of the budget, policies, and operations of the school; and

(4) Collaborate with other principals in the principal's school complex to ensure that:

(A) Logical, sequential curricula are adopted within the school complex;

(B) Best practices are shared among and implemented by schools within the school complex;

(C) The goals and objectives of the school complex are being met;

(D) The use of school complex-based personnel and contractors who divide their time between more than one school in a school complex is coordinated to maximize efficiency; and

(E) The passage of students through the continuum of grades is coordinated in a manner consistent with section 302A-1004."

SECTION 2. Section 302A-1124, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) The department, through the board and its superintendent, shall establish a school community council system under which each public school, excluding new century charter schools and new century conversion charter schools, shall create and maintain a school community council. Each school community council shall:

(1) Review and evaluate the school's academic plan and financial plan, and either recommend revisions of the plans to the principal, or recommend the plans for approval by the complex area superintendent;

(2) Ensure that the school's academic and financial plans are [aligned] consistent with the educational accountability system under section 302A-1004;

(3) Participate in principal selection and evaluation, and transmit any such evaluations to the complex area superintendent; and

(4) Provide collaborative opportunities for input and consultation."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.

INTRODUCED BY:

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