STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1794

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.C.R. No. 169

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Lower & Higher Education, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 169 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CONTRACT WITH A THIRD-PARTY CONSULTANT THAT SPECIALIZES IN SCHOOL FINANCE TO STUDY THE ADEQUACY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING IN HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request that the Department of Education contract with a third-party consultant that specializes in school finance to study the adequacy of public education funding in Hawaii. This measure further requires that the study shall:

(1) Assess the equity of funding among schools throughout Hawaii's public school system;

(2) Review school funding studies performed in other states, including the 2016 study "Using the Evidence-Based Method to Identify Adequate Spending Levels for Vermont Schools" by Picus Odden & Associates and the 2007 study "Washington Adequacy Funding Study" by the Educational Policy Improvement Center;

(3) Employ the evidence-based method to evaluate the adequacy of school funding and encourage the use of the professional judgement method in its analysis;

(4) Identify variables most closely associated with a high-quality education and estimate the amount of additional funding needed to provide all public school students in Hawaii with an equal education opportunity;

(5) Compare Hawaii teacher salaries with teacher salaries in school districts of similar size and cost of living to determine compensation characteristics that impact the Department of Education's ability to recruit and retain effective teachers; and

(6) Include findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation for consideration.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association and Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus submitted testimony in support of this measure. One individual submitted testimony in opposition to this measure. The Department of Education provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by replacing language calling for the study to employ the evidence-based and professional judgement methods of analysis in evaluating school funding with language requiring the study to employ multiple methods of analysis in its assessment.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Lower & Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 169, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 169, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Lower & Higher Education,

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair