Amends the definition of weighted student formula. Appropriates funds to assist the Department of Education in the transition to use of the weighted student formula.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Section 2 of Act 51, Regular Session of 2004, provides that the department of education shall provide supplementary allocations, for no more than three years beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, to those schools whose budgets are adversely affected upon the implementation of the weighted student formula adopted by the board of education pursuant to section 302A-1303.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

The legislature further finds that the definition of weighted student formula needs to be amended to conform to the legislative intent that no school suffer a loss under the weighted student formula, and that the department of education requires additional funds in fiscal year 2006-2007 to make the supplementary allocations required by the transition to the weighted student formula.

The purposes of this Act are to amend the definition of weighted student formula, and to appropriate funds to the department of education for supplementary allocations in fiscal year 2006-2007, to ensure that no school's budget will be adversely affected by implementation of the weighted student formula.

SECTION 2. Section 302A-101, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending the definition of "weighted student formula" to read as follows:

""Weighted student formula" means a formula for allocating operating moneys to individual public schools that includes a system of weighted characteristics affecting the relative cost of educating each student attending a public school; provided that no school operating budget shall be reduced by use of the formula."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $8,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for supplementary allocations to those schools whose budgets are adversely affected by implementation of the weighted student formula.

SECTION 4. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.