STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2028

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2542

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2542 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify when a student may attend a school outside of the student's district.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i.

     Your Committee finds that there are several instances when a student may wish or need to attend school outside of the student's designated district.  This measure will clarify when a student may do so. 

Your Committee notes that this measure is one of several measures that make various housekeeping amendments to chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  As this measure proceeds, your Committee notes that S.B. No. 2540, S.D. 1, proposes to eliminate certain references to the term "district" in chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, in order to clarify that that State is one unified school district.  As such, your Committee encourages further discussion on this issue as both measures go through the legislative process.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the requirement that a geographic exception be requested by a parent; and

     (2)  Adding language to clarify that a student may attend a school outside of the student's district if required by federal law.

     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. 2542, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2542, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair