STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2362

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2664

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Tourism and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2664 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish and provide funding for an ombudsman for each school district to address questions and concerns of interested parties.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by two individuals.  Testimony in opposition of the measure was submitted by the Department of Education and two individuals.

     Your Committees find that ensuring the delivery of quality services by the Department of Education is necessary in caring for our children and providing them with a proper education.  Your Committees further find that families often require assistance in dealing with the Department of Education and ensuring the provision of an adequate education for their children.  This measure affirms the Legislature's commitment to ensuring that quality services are being provided to our children by utilizing the services of ombudsmen with knowledge of the system and the available services to help stakeholders in resolving problems and accessing appropriate services.

     Your Committees received testimony raising concerns with the propriety of establishing ombudsman positions for each school district, the necessity of such positions, and the functions of the positions.  Your Committees believe that assistance is still required to service stakeholders, provide further assurances regarding the quality of services being provided by the Department of Education, and build partnerships with the community that will help the Department in fulfilling its mission.

     Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the ombudsmen positions established under the measure;

     (2)  Establishing community resolution and relations officer positions and specifying the number of positions to be established as follows — two for Oahu and one position each for Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii;

     (3)  Specifying the duties of the community resolution and relations officers to include, among other things, problem solving, building community partnerships, facilitating community relations, assisting the public, and reporting to the Board of Education; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Tourism and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2664, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2664, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Tourism and Government Operations,

____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair