STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1455

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 318

H.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 318, H.D. 1, 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 and appropriate funds for the Department of Education to establish a staggered school start times task force to study and evaluate the issues and implications of instituting a staggered school start times program in Hawaii's public school system; and

(2) Require the staggered school start times task force to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the Regular Session of 2020.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged a later start time of 8:30 a.m. for middle and high school students. However, federal data for the 2015-2016 school year indicates that over eighty-five percent of public high schools start before 8:30 a.m. Therefore, staggered start times for Hawaii's schools should be studied to determine the impact of this component in the overall establishment of an educational system that produces the best learning environment for Hawaii's elementary, middle and intermediate, and high school students.

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 H.B. No. 318, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair