STAND

STAND. COM. REP. 453

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 289

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 289 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to:

(1) Authorize the Superintendent to decentralize administrative authority by organizing the Department of Education (DOE) into administrative units serving complex areas encompassing multiple school complexes; and

(2) Establish advisory boards, each of which shall serve a single complex area and report to the Superintendent.

The Hawaii Business Roundtable submitted testimony in support of this bill. DOE submitted testimony in support of this bill with amendments. The Hawaii State Teachers Association and the Hawaii Government Employees Association submitted testimony in support of the intent of this bill.

Your Committee finds that there is a need to find effective ways in which to improve the administration of Hawaii's public education system. This need is magnified as a result of the federal "No Child Left Behind" Act of 2001, which requires significant changes by DOE. Many aspects of public education in Hawaii are currently decided at the state level by the Board of Education (BOE). Whereas some policy areas are better handled by the current system, there are other issues and policies that are better managed at the complex level, where schools can be assisted in a more timely manner.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Specifying that the complex area advisory boards shall be appointed by BOE;

(2) Requiring BOE to adopt rules governing the scope and operation of the advisory boards;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050 to allow further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of style and clarity.

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. 289, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 289, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

		____________________________ ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair