STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2314

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2591

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2591 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require principals to consult with teachers and school community councils when expending funds provided to their schools;

     (2)  Require the weighted student formula to include a superintendent's reserve to address needs at unique and remote schools; and

     (3)  Grant the Department of Education discretion in allocating reserve funds to specific schools; provided that the Committee on Weights recommends the amount of the reserve and the criteria for its use.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, IMUAlliance, and two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii has experimented with a weighted student formula for over ten years.  The purpose of the formula is to make public education more equitable, transparent, and decentralized.  Since its inception, the weighted student formula has had the unintended consequence of limiting programming for students in some small or rural schools.  Your Committee further finds that a superintendent's reserve in the weighted student formula will give the Committee and principals greater flexibility in addressing the needs of students throughout the State.  However, your Committee notes that the term "unique and remote schools" as used in this measure is unnecessary if the intent is to allow the Committee on Weights to determine the criteria for the reserve's use.  Your Committee further notes testimony by the Department of Education pointing out that teachers are already included in school community councils, and that language specifying that principals shall expend monies "in consultation with teachers and school community councils" is redundant.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing language referencing unique and remote schools; and

     (2)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment 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. 2591, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2591, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair