Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2837 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide funds to each school for equipment, services, and supplies, and to reimburse teachers who spend personal funds to purchase classroom supplies.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association. Comments in support of the intent of this measure were received from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the appropriation for school equipment, services, and supplies should be subject to the weighted student formula so that school principals will preserve full discretionary decision-making authority over the spending of these funds.

Your Committee has amended this measure to reflect the above finding, to amend the $200 reimbursement to make it one reimbursement per classroom rather than one per teacher, and by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2837, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2837, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.