Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 289, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this bill is to improve the administration of the Department of Education (DOE) by establishing seven regional education agencies, comprising, among other things, regional boards of directors and principal advisory councils.

Your Committee on Conference finds that DOE is currently implementing major decentralization efforts to transform the public schools from a district-based system to a complex-based system. These changes will help to ensure that regional needs are met more efficiently and that school complexes may be administered more effectively by bringing the DOE governance structure closer to the schools.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

(1) Deleting the seven regional educational agencies;

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 289, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 289, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.