Lowers minimum total student enrollment for elementary and intermediate schools to qualify for a first vice principal to 400 total students, and a second vice principal to 1,000. Allows smaller elementary and intermediate schools to combine their enrollments to qualify for a first vice principal.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that there will be a shortage of principals in public schools in the near future. To deal with this anticipated labor shortage proactively, it is necessary to begin developing the necessary workforce now. By creating more vice principal positions, the department of education will have a ready pool of qualified and trained personnel to address any upcoming shortages in the principal position.

The purpose of this Act is to create more vice principal positions by lowering the current minimum total student enrollment for elementary and middle/intermediate schools used to allocate vice principal positions.

SECTION 2. Section 302A-605, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§302A-605 Principals and vice-principals. (a) Principals and vice-principals shall meet the department's certification requirements and shall have served as a teacher for a period of not less than five years.

(b) Elementary and middle/intermediate schools with an enrollment of four hundred or more students on the first day of the regular school year shall qualify for a first vice principal position. If two elementary and middle/intermediate schools in a school complex do not qualify for individual first vice principal positions separately under this section, they shall qualify for a joint first vice principal position if their combined enrollment is four hundred or more students on the first day of the regular school year; provided that the work schedule of the joint first vice principal shall be split between the two schools in a manner mutually agreeable to the joint first vice principal and the principals of the two schools. Elementary and middle/intermediate schools with an enrollment of one thousand or more students on the first day of the regular school year shall qualify for a second vice principal position."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.