STAND. COM. REP. NO.150-02
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2002
RE: H.B. No. 2033
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2002
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2033 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to propose amendments to the State Constitution to:
(1) Abolish the Board of Education (BOE);
(2) Require the Superintendent of Education to be responsible for supervising and managing the Department of Education (DOE);
(3) Require the Governor to appoint the Superintendent with the advice and consent of the Senate;
(4) Establish a Superintendent Selection Commission to nominate candidates for selection as Superintendent;
(5) Establish at least fifteen school complex areas, each of which is to be managed and supervised by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), appointed by the Superintendent; and
(6) Specify that the CEOs shall be responsible for implementing the objectives and policies of the Superintendent and DOE within their respective complex areas.
The League of Women Voters, Hawaii Government Employees Association, and an individual submitted testimony in opposition to this bill. BOE, Hawaii Business Roundtable, and Hawaii Association of Charter Schools submitted comments on this bill.
Your Committee finds that the current structure of Hawaii's educational system needs to be changed. As it is currently configured, DOE cannot respond to the needs of schools and school communities quickly enough, and many schools and school administrators get lost in DOE's bureaucracy when requesting needed action.
Your Committee further finds that BOE adds another layer to the State's educational bureaucracy as DOE must look to BOE to establish statewide educational policy. The changes in this bill, including the repeal of BOE and the establishment of a more school-centered DOE system, will immensely help DOE to be a more effective body.
Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by:
(1) Deleting provisions relating to the establishment of school complex areas and CEOs; and
(2) Specifying that the internal structure of DOE shall be as provided by law.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2033, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2033, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,
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____________________________ KEN ITO, Chair |