STAND. COM. REP. NO. 152

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 964
                                        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 S.B. No. 964 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMPULSORY SCHOOL
     ATTENDANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to lower the compulsory
school attendance age from eighteen years to sixteen years, by
making attendance at a public high school after sixteen years of
age a privilege rather than a right.  This measure also repeals
the requirement that a child have an alternative education plan
before being excluded from school for disruptive behavior or
chronic truancy.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the
Hawaii State Teachers Association and Moanalua High School.  The
Department of Education submitted testimony in opposition to this
measure.

     The impetus for this measure was the complaints of many
teachers and principals having problems dealing with chronically
disruptive students.  Many of the older students know their
rights and know that the principal has little leverage in
preventing any disruption in educational activities, as the
principal cannot exclude them from attending school.  This
measure will provide teachers and principals with needed
leverage.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 152
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     The Department of Education testified that it believes that
it is charged with the responsibility to educate all minors, and
disruptive students should not be released without program
direction into the community-at-large.  However, the problem of
disruptive students, for many years, has been a perennial issue
brought to the Legislature.  While the Department of Education
has consistently opposed lowering the compulsory school age, your
Committee finds that the Department of Education has done little
to alleviate the problem of disruptive students in Hawaii's
schools.

     Your Committee further finds that disruptive students hinder
the learning of other students who take their education
seriously.  By not having the means to control disruptive
students, your Committee finds that the educational growth of all
students are adversely affected.  

     Your Committee believes there is a need for change.
Disruptive students should not burden and monopolize the efforts
of teachers and principals, to the detriment of the other
students.  However, your Committee is aware of the concerns
raised by the Department of Education and has thus amended this
measure to be repealed on July 1, 2004, in the event that this
measure does not prove effective.

     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 S.B. No. 964, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 964,
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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