HB2962

relating to after-school programs.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The island of Hawaii encompasses an area of 4,028 square miles and has a population of 167,000 residents. The island's population is spread over an area twice the size of all the other islands combined. This poses a geographic challenge in providing programs and services to island residents.

Rural communities lack the necessary infrastructure to support and implement beneficial programs for our community. The youth face challenges in remaining drug-free, engaged, and involved in positive activities because of the lack of transportation, facilities, and educational alternatives during the afternoon and evening hours. Families have to travel significant distances to areas of employment that are clustered in the South Kohala, Kona, and Hilo areas. This results in children being largely unsupervised after school. We have recently seen the impact that drugs and substance abuse, primarily crystal methamphetamine, have had on our children, our families, and our communities. We need to remain committed to ensuring the safety and health of our children.

Our schools have the necessary infrastructure to provide support to our youth, our families, and our communities. There are classrooms, restrooms, parking, computer labs, gyms, and parks. In some rural communities, the only facilities for meetings and activities are the schools. Unfortunately, many of our schools remain closed during the afternoon and evening hours. Our schools are the center, the hub, the heart of our communities. Through partnerships between the department of education, the county, and local businesses and community organizations, we can provide our students the opportunity to remain at school to participate in recreational and educational programs. Increasing the positive alternatives available to our youth will provide multiple benefits to our community.

Establishing the Hawaii Safe Haven demonstration program will allow our communities to become engaged in the education and support of our students. Our communities, with support from the legislature, will provide the programs and services during after school hours. Our teachers and administrators are already fulfilling the challenges of providing transportation, meals, and an educational curriculum to our students during the school day. This demonstration program will allow our schools the opportunity to remain open after school with services to be provided by local businesses, organizations, and community volunteers. It will also allow for the collaboration, cooperation, and collective commitment of our rural communities towards nurturing, guiding, and supporting our youth and our families. The Safe Haven demonstration program is planned for implementation in the county of Hawaii as a model, to be expanded to other islands following the successful demonstration of this program. One school will be selected by each department of education area complex superintendent as a demonstration site. A total of three schools will be part of this program during the first year of operation.

We continue to witness unacceptable rates of adolescent substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, teenage pregnancies, and other negative socio-economic statistics. We can address these issues if we all make a commitment to doing everything we possibly can to prevent these problems from impacting our community in the first place. The Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has clearly stated that community programs that are most effective in addressing negative behaviors amongst our youth are programs that reduce the risk factors and increase the protective factors in our community. The Safe Haven demonstration program will accomplish both of those goals.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the implementation of the Safe Haven demonstration program in the county of Hawaii.

SECTION 2. 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 2008-2009 for the implementation of the Safe Haven model demonstration program in the county of Hawaii.

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

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2962
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII