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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
34 |
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TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY to examine the fiscal, curriculum, and other impacts of a four-day school week for school complexes.
WHEREAS, Board of Education Policy Number 4160 requires that a student's day shall be based on no less than thirty hours per week, distributed over a five-day week; and
WHEREAS, if the student's parent, guardian, or other adult having legal responsibility for, or care of, the student is employed for more than thirty hours a week, this leaves a significant amount of time when the student may be either left unattended or enrolled in before- or after-school programs; and
WHEREAS, according to a March 12, 2009, Associated Press story on education, select districts in seventeen states follow a four-day week, and legislatures in six other states have introduced similar proposals; and
WHEREAS, the experience of these schools, as well as Maili Elementary School on Oahu, has shown the following results:
(1) Improved teacher recruitment and retention, especially in geographically isolated schools and schools with hard-to-fill positions;
(2) Savings on bus transportation, food service, and utilities;
(3) Improvements in campus maintenance; and
(4) No adverse impact on student achievement and a positive impact on student attendance; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Education is requested to conduct a feasibility study to examine the fiscal, curriculum, and other impacts of a four-day school week for school complexes; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to consider and include in the feasibility study:
(1) Fiscal and non-fiscal impacts, by complex area;
(2) Potential schedules for changes to the school calendar, by school year and by complex area;
(3) Any utility or operational savings from any decrease in the number of school days per year; and
(4) Any other information that may be relevant; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2010, including any requests for additional funding or legislation required for implementation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education and the Chairperson of the Board of Education.
DOE; Feasibility Study; Four-Day School Week