Requires DOE to consult with the Joint Venture Education Forum to establish a priority listing of public schools that are impacted by a large population of military dependent students. Directs the University of Hawaii (UH) to establish a readmission program for military personnel returning from deployment. Appropriates funds to DOE for additional staff, child care services, and vocational training and retraining in schools with a significant population of military dependent students. (SB1394 HD1)

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. Due to the increasing deployment of Hawaii based military members, including the Hawaii national guard and reserve, to overseas assignments, military families are faced with financial, social, and recreational difficulties. These families must cope by maintaining a healthy household environment with or without the assistance of the family member in the military. As a result, some public school personnel have been tasked with the additional psychological, social, and academic needs of military students that go beyond that of a normal school environment.

In 1999, the Joint Venture Education Forum was established with the assistance of the department of education to promote teamwork and better communication between the armed forces and the department. With over twenty-one thousand military family members enrolled in Hawaii public schools, service members have a large stake in the quality of public education. One mission of the Joint Venture Education Forum is to assist the department of education in their understanding and support of the needs of military children and families.

The increased deployment has made it necessary to provide additional staffing to public schools that are impacted by a larger population of military dependent children. Organizations such as Joint Venture Education Forum can assist the department in identifying the schools that are in most need of additional staffing.

The legislature also finds that military members who are home-based in Hawaii often face disruption to their personal and professional lives when they are deployed. Many are enrolled in state educational programs and may have to leave the programs to fulfill their military obligations. These individuals are taken away from their daily routines and sent overseas under hostile conditions.

The purpose of this Act is to provide:

for schools at which student population consists of at least twenty per cent or one hundred students from military families, as determined by the department of education.

This Act also authorizes returning military personnel returning from deployment to gain readmission to programs of the University of Hawaii system.

SECTION 2. The department of education shall consult with the Joint Venture Education Forum to establish a priority listing of public schools that are impacted by a large population of military dependent students. In the development of the priority listing, the department shall consider establishing priority schools with a twenty per cent or more or one hundred or more population of dependent military students. The department shall compile the priority listing no later than thirty days after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. The University of Hawaii shall establish a program to allow for readmission of returning military personnel into programs to which they have been previously been admitted, including students who had been admitted but did not enroll due to the timing of their deployment; provided that the individual is returning from a tour of duty and identifies their prior acceptance to the respective campus registrars.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006 for:

provided that schools receiving the additional staff have either one hundred or more military dependent students among the total student population or a student population of military dependent students that comprises twenty per cent or more of the total student population.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050; provided that section 4 shall be effective on July 1, 2050.