STAND. COM. REP. NO.635-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2033

H.D. 3

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2033, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to change the organizational structure of the statewide system of public education by amending the State Constitution to:

    1. Abolish the Board of Education;
    2. Empower the state Superintendent of Education (Superintendent) to formulate statewide educational policy;
    3. Establish the Superintendent Selection Commission (Commission) to provide a list of four to six Superintendent nominees to the Governor for appointment, with the advice and consent of the Senate; and
    4. Provide that the internal organization of the statewide system of education shall be as provided by law.

 

 

The Hawaii Business Roundtable submitted testimony in support of the intent of this bill. The Department of Education, Board of Education, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, and Hawaii State Teachers Association submitted testimony in opposition to this bill. The Department of Budget and Finance submitted comments on this bill.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending, rather than repealing, article X, section 3, of the State Constitution to establish local district school boards of education (local school boards) that implement statewide educational policies formulated by the Superintendent and formulate and implement local educational objectives;

(2) Specifying that the Superintendent shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor, provided that the Governor may only remove the Superintendent with the advice and consent of the Senate;

(3) Making the constitutional amendments take effect following ratification by the electorate, and upon the day that local school boards begin functioning as provided by law;

(4) Clarifying the staggered terms of Commission members;

(5) Condensing the ballot question and reflecting new constitutional material relating to local school boards; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of style, clarity, and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2033, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2033, H.D. 3.

 

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

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair