STAND. COM. REP. NO. 178

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 693

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 693 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to provide support for transition services for students at military-impacted schools.

     The measure accomplishes this purpose by appropriating an unspecified amount in each fiscal year of the 2007-2009 biennium to expand the transition services program for military dependent students initially established at Radford High School to all military-impacted schools.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Education, the Hawaii State Teachers Association, and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that students from military families, as well as others from different countries and cultures, experience unique academic and social challenges when transiting into schools in the State.  Beginning in the 2002-2003 school year, Radford High School initiated the development of a transition assistance program to create a system for integrating new students into the school community.  This program has enjoyed great success in aiding the transition of military students into public schools in Hawaii and serves as a model for other schools seeking to implement similar programs.  Your Committee believes the transitioning of military and other new students into our school communities is important to the creation of positive learning environments that allow all students to achieve academic success. 

     Your Committee also believes that all schools, not only military-impacted schools, can benefit greatly from transition programs and has extended this measure to provide funding for all schools.  Additionally, in order to ensure that funding for transition programs does not adversely impact funds allocated under the weighted student formula, your Committee believes that funding should be accomplished outside of the weighted student formula allocation.  Your Committee understands that an estimated 14,744 students could benefit from transition services in schools throughout the State, which have been estimated to cost approximately $200 per student.  Your Committee believes that an appropriation based on these figures is appropriate.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Including an appropriation in the amount of $3,000,000 for each fiscal year of the 2007-2009 biennium;

     (2)  Extending the funding to support transition programs in all schools in the State; and

     (3)  Specifying that funding to support transition programs shall be treated as follows:

          (A)  The determination of costs associated with providing transition programs for students shall be calculated under the weighted student formula on a per student basis; and

          (B)  Funding for the provision of transition programs for students shall be funded outside of the allocation provided according to the weighted student formula.

     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. 693, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 693, 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