Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2755 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a revolving fund for the After-School Plus Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from the Board of Education, Department of Education, Director of Finance, and Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Your Committee finds that the After-School Plus Program, known as the A+ Program, has been an effective and necessary means of providing after-school care services to public school latchkey students in kindergarten through grade six. Since its inception, parents and guardians have relied on the A+ Program to provide after-school care services for their children.

Your Committee further finds that currently, in sites where schools operate the A+ Program directly, fees collected for A+ Program services are deposited into the State's general fund. As a result, there is no guarantee that the fees collected will be dedicated to running the A+ Program. As such, because the A+ Program is subject to state funding, in lean economic times, the A+ Program's viability becomes an issue. Over the years, public support for the program has been enthusiastic. The Board has received comments from parents and guardians indicating that the A+ Program fulfills the vital community need of providing after-school services for elementary school-age latchkey students. Establishing a revolving fund for the deposit of fees related to the A+ Program would ensure that such fees collected are dedicated to fund the program and maintain the program's viability.

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 S.B. No. 2755 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.