STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1400

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 186

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Education and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 186 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO FACILITATE DISCUSSION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ON THE FUNDING INADEQUACIES OF THE WEIGHTED STUDENT FORMULA, PARTICULARLY FOR SMALLER RURAL SCHOOLS, AND EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE MODELS OR FORMULAS TO THE WEIGHTED STUDENT FORMULA IN THE INTEREST OF MAXIMIZING FUNDING EQUITY TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Education to:

 

     (1)  Facilitate discussion within the community on the funding inadequacies of the Weighted Student Formula, particularly for smaller rural schools, and to explore alternative models or formulas to the Weighted Student Formula in the interest of maximizing funding equity to public schools; and

 

     (2)  Submit its findings and recommendations to address the concerns regarding the Weighted Student Formula to the 2010 Legislature.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one private organization and nine individuals.  One state agency submitted testimony in opposition.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Weighted Student Formula has raised concerns since its implementation, and that it has not been fully implemented due, in part, to its adverse impact on small and rural schools.

 

     Your Committee agrees that further information on the impact is critical to achieving the intent of the Weighted Student Formula, which was established by Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, to more accurately assess the relative cost of educating students and achieve greater transparency in the budget process.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing "smaller rural schools" to "smaller and rural schools" in both the title and the body of the measure;

 

     (2)  Replacing the request of the Department of Education to hold community meetings with a request to conduct an analysis of the implementation of the Weighted Student Formula, including the impact on small and rural schools on student achievement, safety and well-being, and civic responsibility; and

 

     (3)  Clarifying that the information to be gathered on the Weighted Student Formula include funding models used by other education agencies to address resourcing small and rural schools, and the most effective means by which schools within a school complex, complex area, or district might share resources to achieve greater fiscal and instructional efficiencies.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 186, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 186, S.D. 1.

 


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

 

 

 

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair