STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1166-10

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

RE:   S.B. No. 2571

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2571, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve the accountability of Hawaii's public education system by requiring the members of the Board of Education (BOE) to be nominated and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appointed by the Governor from lists of qualified candidates presented to the Governor by the Board of Education Selection Advisory Council (Council).

     The Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Outrigger Hotels, Hawaii's Children First, Hawaii Business Roundtable, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Governor's Administration and BOE opposed this measure.  The Hawaii State Teachers Association and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Clarifying that each BOE member serving on the day of the effective date of this bill shall be included in the list of candidates to the presented to the Governor for the initial appointment of BOE members, only if the member accepts;

     (2)  Specifying that the member of the community who shall be appointed by the Governor to the Council shall not be appointed until December 6, 2010;

     (3)  Clarifying that the Council shall convene its first meeting as early as practicable;

     (4)  Specifying that the elected BOE members serving on the day of the effective date of this bill shall continue to serve until the appointment of the number of interim members of BOE equivalent to the majority of all the voting members to which BOE is entitled; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2571, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2571, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair