STAND. COM. REP. NO. 964

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 613

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 613, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide financial and other support for programs furthering early education.

     More specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to identify unused public school land and facilities for use by early childhood education programs, requires a maximum ratio of one teacher to ten students in certain schools, and appropriates funds.

     The Department of Education submitted comments on the bill and the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board submitted comments in support of the bill.

     Your Committee finds that early childhood education is instrumental for future development and success.  It is important to accomplish the goals set out by the previously established Early Learning Education Task Force.

     Your Committee finds that this bill takes into account the presented issues.  Early childhood education can be best supported if the Department of Education identifies currently unused public school land and facilities and limits the student-to-teacher ratio to fifteen to one in underachieving schools and schools with a high percentage of students qualifying for free and reduced lunches.  The limited funds for the latter goal will be allocated on a sliding scale based on the percentage of students at a school who qualify for free or reduced lunches, with schools having a higher percentage receiving proportionately more funds than schools with lower percentages.

     Your Committee further finds that financial support for early childhood education inclusion programs and collaboration of public programs and private providers helps to ameliorate current concerns.

     Your Committee has amended the bill to:

     (1)  Delete the suggested establishment of the early education incentive program and all related provisions;

     (2)  Change the student-to-teacher ratio requirement back from ten to one to fifteen to one;

     (3)  Require the Department of Human Services, which already conducts inspections of early childhood education facilities, to report that information to the Department of Education thereby not duplicating the effort;

     (4)  Require the Department of Education to report back to the Legislature with its findings and recommendations; and

     (5)  Make technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, style, and conformity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 613, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 613, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair