STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2090

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2657

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2657 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a teacher housing allowance program to provide housing assistance to teachers employed in schools in geographically isolated areas or hard-to-fill positions within the State.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Education.

     Your Committee finds that the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers to teach in public schools throughout the State is an issue of critical importance.  Additionally, finding qualified teachers to teach in hard-to-fill positions or geographically isolated schools in the State is extremely challenging for the Department of Education.  This measure provides a teacher housing allowance for teachers who teach in hard-to-fill positions or geographically isolated public schools in Hawaii.  Your Committee believes that the provision of additional incentives such as this will greatly assist the Department of Education in fulfilling its mission of providing a quality public school education to the students of our State.

     Upon consideration of similar measures that presented alternative incentives in the form of housing assistance for public school teachers, your Committee believes that further investigation is necessary to determine the appropriate program or incentive to best serve the needs of the State and its teachers.  Additionally, your Committee is concerned that the condition of existing teacher housing should also be addressed to protect the residents' safety and to ensure that this incentive is appropriately maintained.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Including an appropriation for the renovation, repair, and maintenance of existing teacher housing;

     (2)  Requiring the Department of Education to report to the Legislature on alternative teacher housing incentives; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2657, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2657, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair