STAND. COM. REP. NO. 298

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 605

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 605 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Restructure the Department of Education into two major divisions, the Academic Achievement Division and the Administration Division; and

     (2)  Establish two Senior Deputy Superintendent positions to head the divisions.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committee finds that this measure supports the State's goals in its Race to the Top grant application by improving the Superintendent of Education's management capacity.  The creation of two separate divisions, to be headed by two Senior Deputy Superintendents, will improve administrative operations and academic achievement in Hawaii's public school system.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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. 605, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 605, 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,

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair