STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1051

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 185
                                        H.D. 1
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education and Technology, to which was
referred H.B. No. 185, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to improve educational
outcomes by appropriating funds to establish maximum class sizes
for the public elementary schools.  

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the
Hawaii State Teachers Association, the Hawaii State Parent,
Teacher, and Student Association, the E.B. de Silva Elementary
School, the E.B. de Silva Elementary School SCBM Council, Ha'aheo
School, and a concerned teacher.  The Department of Education
submitted testimony in support of the intent of this measure.  

     Your Committee finds that currently, the Legislature
appropriates teacher positions to the Department of Education
based upon statewide student-teacher ratios.  This measure is a
departure from the use of statewide student-teacher ratios in
that the maximum number of students per teacher position is
stipulated.  This maximum limit is sometimes impractical, as one
student over the maximum limit would necessitate another teacher
position.

     Your Committee has amended this measure to conform it to the
current Department of Education teacher appropriation process by

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1051
                                   Page 2


deleting the maximum student limit for teachers, and instead
requiring a student-teacher ratio of 20:1 for students in
kindergarten to third grade, and a ratio of 26:1 for students in
fourth to sixth grade.  Your Committee believes that this
amendment will improve educational outcomes, as well as give the
Department of Education some flexibility in assignment of teacher
positions to schools.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education and Technology that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 185, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B.
No. 185, H.D. 1, 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 and
                                   Technology,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DAVID Y. IGE, Chair

 
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