STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1740

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 115

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 115 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO INCREASE ACADEMIC SERVICES TO STUDENTS IN THE AFTER-SCHOOL PLUS PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide increased after school activities for students by requesting the Department of Education to develop a plan to increase academic services to students in the After-school Plus Program.

     Testimony in opposition of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education.

     Your Committee finds that the Department of Education's A+ Program provides affordable after-school child care services for children in public elementary schools whose parents work, attend school, or are in job training programs, so that the high incidence of latchkey children is reduced.  Your Committee further finds that the A+ Program provides a safe, secure, and nurturing environment for children after school hours and offers a rich variety of activities for the children.  Your Committee believes that the A+ Program plays an important role in helping young students to achieve their educational goals and realize their potential.  The expansion of this and other programs to provide increased academic services to young students, including tutoring and training in specific areas, will allow more public school students to strive to greater heights of academic achievement and support a highly qualified future workforce in Hawaii.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Specifying that the Department of Education is requested to develop a plan to increase academic and extracurricular services to A+ Program students and students in other on-site programs developed and offered by the A+ Program and other service providers, and making changes to the title and the body of the measure to reflect this objective; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 115, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 115, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair