STAND

STAND. COM. REP. 1301

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.C.R. No. 147

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.C.R. No. 147 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION TO DECLINE ANY FURTHER PARTICIPATION IN THE "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT OF 2001" AND TO RETURN ALL TITLE I PROGRAM MONEYS CONDITIONED ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACT BY THE STATE OF HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Education to decline any further participation in the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" and to return all Title I program moneys conditioned on the implementation of the Act by the State of Hawaii.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from several Department of Education personnel and students. The Department of Education and a concerned individual submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

Your Committee finds that the education of Hawaii's youth is of utmost importance, however that although the "No Child Left Behind Act" was touted as being a sure way of raising education standards, that the funding behind the Act's implementation has been undercut. Your Committee further finds that the State of Hawaii's public school system is faced with unfair odds under the provisions of the "No Child Behind Act." Your Committee sympathizes with the plight of educators in Hawaii and would like to send a strong message to the Board of Education and the Department of Education that the Legislature recognizes the unfairness of the Act.

Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that this measure is to urge the Department of Education to consider not participating in the "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT" and to return all funds that are conditioned on the provisions of the Act. The following changes have been made to reflect these amendments:

(1) The title has been amended to read: "URGING THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION TO CONSIDER DECLINING ANY FURTHER PARTICIPATION IN THE "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT OF 2001" AND TO RETURN ALL FEDERAL FUNDS CONDITIONED ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACT BY THE STATE OF HAWAII."; and

(2) Correcting the estimated additional funding dollar amount on page 3, line 17, to be $260,700,000; and

(3) Changing lines 36-41 to reflect the title change.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 147, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 147, H.D. 1.

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

		____________________________ CINDY EVANS, Acting Chair