HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

202

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

requesting the board of education and department of education to incorporate INTO the student weighted formula the assignment of administrative and counseling staff.

 

 

WHEREAS, during the Regular Session of 2004, the Legislature approved landmark legislation to revamp the public education system by directing more resources to the public school classrooms and bringing governance to the school level; and

WHEREAS, the legislation, known as Act 51, "The Reinventing Education Act of 2004", offers a multi-faceted approach to improving student achievement in Hawaii's public schools and seeks to reinvent public schools by strengthening the financing, leadership, and accountability at the school level; and

WHEREAS, one provision of Act 51 established a weighted student formula by which moneys are allocated to schools based on a system of weights that applies to every student in the public schools; and

WHEREAS, under a weighted student formula, there are several advantages, including:

(1) The relative cost of educating students can be much more accurately assessed, based upon the unique learning needs of each student;

(2) Funds follow students to whichever school they attend; and

(3) The budget process becomes more transparent as it is based on dollars, not staff positions; and

WHEREAS, a weighted student formula provides a funding mechanism that can be used to ensure that moneys are fairly distributed to all Hawaii public schools; and

WHEREAS, in order to fully empower principals and teachers in the public schools, they need access to adequate resources; and

WHEREAS, school operating expenditures, including administrator positions and counselors, are costs that benefit every student; and

WHEREAS, the weighted student formula should also incorporate the assignment of administrative and counseling staff of the Department of Education to ensure that principals and teachers have adequate resources to implement the changes enacted in Act 51; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that the Board of Education and Department of Education are requested to incorporate into the student weighted formula the assignment of administrative and counseling staff; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education and the Superintendent of Education.

 

 
 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Weighted Student Formula; Administrative and Counseling Staff