STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3696

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 103

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 103 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH A TASK FORCE TO REINTRODUCE VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Superintendent of Education to consider reintroducing vocational programs at public schools.

     Specifically, the measure requests the Superintendent of Education to:

     (1)  Establish a task force to identify vocational programs appropriate for implementation at public high schools, develop corresponding curricula, and identify costs of or other barriers to reintroducing vocational programs at public high schools; and

     (2)  Submit a report on the findings and recommendations of the task force to the Legislature.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Hawaii Laborers Union Local 368, IMUAlliance, Hawaii Island School Garden Network, and three individuals.

     Your Committee finds that vocational education at public schools helps to expand the educational training offered to students by providing students with skills they may use in obtaining gainful employment.  Your Committee also recognizes that a vocational program could help to reduce the $300,000,000 repair and maintenance backlog of the public school system through student participation in supervised projects conducted on school sites.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 103, and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair