STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1614

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.R. No. 165
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.R. No.
165 entitled: 

     "HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND
     THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT A POLICY OF LEASING COMPUTER
     EQUIPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this Resolution is to request the Board and
the Department of Education to adopt a computer equipment leasing
policy rather than purchasing policy for the schools.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the
Resolution from the Superintendent of Education.

     Your Committee finds that the keeping up with computer
technology in the schools is a cumbersome process.  Much of the
equipment purchased for the education of students is obsolete
within three years.  Your Committee finds that adopting a leasing
policy with regard to providing computers in the schools is an
attractive alternative to purchasing the equipment.  Your
Committee finds that leasing computers offers more equipment
right away, improves the student-to-computer ratio more quickly,
and keeps the equipment current through negotiating mid-term
swapping out of older equipment.


 
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                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1614
                                 Page 2

 
     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 165,
and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair

 
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