STAND. COM. REP. 3318

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.C.R. No. 61

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 61 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A FISCAL AUDIT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S HAWAIIAN STUDIES PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a fiscal audit of the Department of Education's Hawaiian Studies Program, especially the kupuna component, to clarify why there are numerous inconsistencies in the delivery and implementation of the program.

Your Committees received testimony in support of the measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Ka Lei Pāpahi `o Kākuhikewa, and six individuals. The Department of Education testified in opposition of the resolution.

The State constitution (Article X, section 4) mandates the instruction of Hawaiian language, culture, and history in the public schools through the use of community expertise. In 1984, to facilitate implementation of the mandate, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs developed a kupuna program to recruit and train potential kupuna to teach within the Department of Education, Hawaiian Studies Program. However, the Program is not available in all schools and kupuna are paid using inconsistent methods, among other irregularities. Therefore, your Committees find that sufficient irregularities exist within the Department of Education's Hawaiian Studies Program to warrant a fiscal audit of the Program.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a request to the Department of Education to conduct its own program audit to identify the concerns and issues regarding the delivery and implementation of the Hawaiian Studies Program; and

(2) Amending the title of the measure to reflect the Department of Education program audit.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 61, as amended herein, recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 61, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair

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NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair