CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 84

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2011

RE:    H.B. No. 945

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 945, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to implement the minimum student school year and instructional hours requirements established under Act 167, Session Laws of Hawaii 2010 (Act 167) in a feasible and fiscally responsible manner by:

     (1)  Exempting multi-track schools from the requirements of Act 167;

     (2)  Delaying the implementation of Act 167 for three years;

     (3)  Requiring the Department of Education (DOE) to re-examine what constitutes student instructional hours, determine current levels of instructional hours at each school, and assess the ability of all schools to comply with the requirements of Act 167, and to report its findings to the Legislature prior to the 2012 Regular Session; and

     (4)  Requiring DOE, with the Board of Education (BOE) and the Governor, to consult with representatives of affected public worker collective bargaining units and report to the Legislature annually prior to the Regular Sessions of 2013 through 2018 on the progress and efforts to meet the requirements of Act 167.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring all schools to implement a school year of 180 instructional days beginning with the 2011-2013 school years;

     (2)  Requiring 50 percent of elementary schools in the State, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, to implement a school year of 915 student instructional hours for the 2011-2012 school year;

     (3)  Requiring all elementary schools in the State, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, to implement a school year of 915 student instructional hours beginning with the 2012-2013 school year;

     (4)  Permitting BOE to grant a waiver to any individual school subject to the student instructional hours or 180 day school year requirements and requiring BOE to adopt policies and procedures to grant the waiver;

     (5)  Requiring DOE's report on what constitutes student instructional hours to be submitted by September 1, 2011, rather than 20 days prior to the convening of the 2012 Regular Session; and

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 945, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 945, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair	____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Co-Chair
____________________________ MICHELLE KIDANI, Co-Chair	____________________________ MARILYN B. LEE, Co-Chair