CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 30-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    H.B. No. 2972

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 2972, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to promote more efficient use of taxpayer investment in public education and provide for the timely consolidation or closure of public schools in Hawaii through an objective and transparent process that:

     (1)  Includes the establishment of a Facilities Alignment Commission (Commission) that will:

          (A)  Establish criteria for the selection of public schools to be consolidated or closed; and

          (B)  Recommend, based on these criteria, a list of schools to be consolidated and underused schools to be closed, subject to the review of the Legislature;

          and

     (2)  Directs the Board of Education to proceed with the process of consolidating or closing underused schools according to the recommendations of the Commission, if the Legislature does not disapprove of the recommendations in their entirety.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing the requirements for quorum to five members of the Commission, and requiring a majority vote of these members to validate all its actions;

     (2)  Changing the termination date of the Commission to upon adjournment sine die of the 2011 regular session, rather than the 2010 regular session;

     (3)  Including all schools in the Kaimuki complex, rather than just elementary schools, in the assessment of projected student enrollment on which the school facilities plan is to be based;

     (4)  Requiring, in the criteria, consideration of alternative uses of the facilities, land, and property assets of schools proposed to be consolidated or closed, with priority for other educational uses, provided that consideration be given to any action necessary to effectuate an alternative use;

     (5)  Requiring BOE to expeditiously implement the recommendations of the Commission, if they are not disapproved by the Legislature; and

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2972, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2972, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair	____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Co-Chair
____________________________ SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair	____________________________ MARILYN B. LEE, Co-Chair