SB2657

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2657
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to teachers.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that with an overall shortage of teachers and other educational staff members, including administrators and related service professionals, many schools are hard-pressed to keep staff from accepting positions in other schools or leaving the profession altogether. The cost and availability of housing can greatly impact the recruitment and retention of teachers, especially in geographically isolated communities and in schools plagued with hard-to-fill vacancies. In addition, the high cost of housing in Hawaii creates added economic stress on younger teachers who are among those most likely to leave the profession. The legislature further finds that there is a critical need to provide housing assistance for the recruitment and retention of teachers in hard-to-fill geographically public schools, as determined by the department of education.

The purpose of this Act is to establish a teacher housing allowance program to provide housing assistance to teachers employed in public schools in geographically isolated communities and public schools plagued with hard-to-fill vacancies.

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

"§302A- Teacher housing allowance program. (a) The department shall establish a teacher housing allowance program to provide housing allowances to teachers employed to teach at public schools in the State.

(b) The amount of the housing allowance shall be equal to the teacher's full-time equivalence multiplied by the difference between the statewide median cost of housing minus the lesser of either the cost of housing in the school district where the teacher is employed or the cost of housing in the school district in which the teacher resides. For purposes of this section, the difference between the school district's cost of housing and the statewide median shall not exceed fifty per cent of the median.

(c) The cost of the housing for each school district and the statewide median shall be determined every four years based on a standard set of housing specifications and on data reported for the most recent annual period for which data are available. The collection of data shall be done by a nationally recognized entity that collects statistically valid housing cost data for federal government agencies and businesses, selected by the superintendent and subject to approval by the board. The department shall contract with the entity selected under this subsection from funds provided for this purpose. For the purposes of this section, the "statewide median cost of housing" means the cost at which there is an equal number of districts with higher housing costs and with lower housing costs.

(d) The department shall administer the housing allowance program and shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 necessary for the program's implementation."

SECTION 3. 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 teacher housing allowance program established under this Act.

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

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 3 shall be effective on July 1, 2008.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________