Requires the reduction of the student to teacher ratio for elementary, middle, and high school grades. Appropriates funds for initiatives and for staff needed to support the reduction. (SD2).

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that there are many benefits to a reduction in the student-teacher ratio. There are approximately twelve thousand teachers and 183,000 students in the public school system, which translates to a student-teacher ratio of 15.25-to-one.

The legislature also finds that both teachers and students benefit from smaller class sizes, as well as having support from other teachers in specialty areas such as art, music, physical education, gifted and talented, technology, and others, and support from tutors, counselors, librarians, and other staff members.

In order to lower the student-teacher ratio of 15.25-to-one to a targeted 14.75-to-one, an additional four hundred six teachers would need to be hired. The result would be an average increase of one teacher per school of four hundred fifty students, or four additional teachers per school of one thousand eight hundred students.

SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§302A-   Reduction of student-teacher ratio. (a) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the legislature and allotted by the governor, the department:

(b) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the legislature and allotted by the governor, the department shall support class size reduction by providing additional staff as necessary, including teachers from art, music, physical education, gifted and talented, technology, and other specialty areas, tutors, counselors, librarians, and other staff as appropriate."

SECTION 3. The department of education shall plan and budget for future staffing needs and construction to accommodate the reduction of the student-teacher ratio at all grade levels. The department shall report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2007, on its plan, timetable, and budgetary projections to accomplish the purposes of this Act.

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 2006-2007, to phase in the reduction of class size in all public elementary, middle, and high school grades over the next three years beginning with school year 2006-2007, including the hiring of additional teachers, tutors, counselors, librarians, resource teachers, and other staff as necessary for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.