SB82 SD1

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	82
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY COUNCILS.

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

SECTION 1. Act 51, the Reinventing Education Act of 2004 (Act 51), states: "One of the most important means of improving educational outcomes and public confidence in those outcomes in schools is by enhancing community involvement." To that end, Act 51 mandates that school community councils be established in all public schools by the 2005-2006 school year. Each school community council is composed of a principal and at least one member representing teachers, non-certificated personnel, students, community members, and parents.

The legislature envisions each school community council as a vehicle for shared decision making. In practice, each school community council is advisory, with a primary purpose of evaluating the school's academic and financial plan. Each school community council may offer recommendations and then forward its plan to the complex area superintendent for adoption. Each plan becomes the blueprint for that school's goals, priorities, programs, and activities, and is used as a guide for academic and financial decisions made at the school level.

To ensure that each school community council can effectively perform its responsibilities and incorporate workforce priorities, it is important to provide council members with:

(1) Adequate and appropriate training; and

(2) Clearly stated additional workforce-related responsibilities.

The purpose of this Act is to provide a training program for each school community council located within the elementary, middle, and high schools under the department of education.

SECTION 2. The department of education shall establish a training program for school community councils within each complex located within the elementary, middle, and high schools under the department of education. School community councils within a complex shall be provided training collectively. The training program shall encourage school community councils to work collaboratively within each complex; include instruction on the basics of the operations of the department of education including department of education terminology, procedures, and priorities; and include instruction on reform and redesign initiatives for all public schools. The training program shall also incorporate each school community council's goals, priorities, and programs, including the oversight of the school's activities related to:

(1) Incorporation of career pathways into the school, including clear, understandable information on occupations needed by the State for economic development;

(2) Provision of information and counseling to each student and guardian or parent regarding the student's career pathways and significance to the student's future in the workforce; and

(3) Retention and transition strategies to assist students through secondary and post-secondary institutions.

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 2007-2008, to the department of education to develop school community council training programs; provided that the department shall expend $ in each of the elementary, middle, and high schools in the State.

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

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.