Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 209, S.D. 2, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate $60,000 to the Department of Education for the conversion of 10-month counselor positions to 12-month counselor positions for multi-track schools for the fiscal biennium 2003-2005.

Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education, the Hawaii State Teachers Association, and three principals.

Your Committees find that when schools changed to a multi-track schedule it became necessary for counselors to be provided on a year-round basis. Therefore, your Committees determine that to meet the needs of students attending multi-track schools, counselors must be present at all times during the academic calendar.

Upon further consideration, your Committees find that to truly meet the needs of multi-track schools, the conversion of positions other than counselors is necessary. Therefore, your Committees have amended this measure to provide for the conversion of 10-month certificated positions to 12-month positions, as needed, for multi-track schools. Your Committees intend that each multi-track school shall identify those positions which necessitate conversion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 209, S.D. 2, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.