RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the South Kohala area of the island of Hawaii has experienced unprecedented growth, issuing seven hundred fourteen building permits in 2004 and eight hundred fifty-four building permits in 2005; and

WHEREAS, there are 2,194 single family dwelling units and six hundred twenty-seven multiple family dwelling units projected for construction in the Waikoloa area on the island of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, there are 2,876 single family dwelling units and one hundred multiple family dwelling units projected for construction in the Waimea area on the island of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, research shows that over six thousand nine hundred homes have been approved for construction, with twelve hundred lots to be developed as workforce housing, three hundred eighty-four lots to be developed as affordable housing, and one thousand two hundred ten homes to be developed for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; and

WHEREAS, in the case of large-scale residential development for an area, the Department of Education enrollment projection methodology uses the expected number of units to be delivered in a given month or year multiplied by an enrollment factor; the Department also considers types of housing units and variables such as census births, grade level size, and private school enrollment; and

WHEREAS, students in Waikoloa currently travel approximately eighteen miles north of Waikoloa to attend middle school and twenty-eight miles south of Waikoloa to attend high school; and

WHEREAS, the roads on the island of Hawaii already have the highest fatality rates in the State and traffic congestion continues to increase at a rapid rate; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Education is urged to plan for enrollment increases in public schools in South Kohala; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education, when planning for new schools in the Kohala area, is urged to consider eliminating the need for the student population to travel long distances to get to school, thus increasing the safety of Kohala area students; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit a report of its findings, recommendations, proposed legislation, if any, and progress to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Chairperson of the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Education, and the Hawaii Complex Area Superintendent.

Report Title:

DOE Plan for Enrollment Increases in South Kohala