STAND. COM. REP. NO. 447

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 692

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 S.B. No. 692 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) Authorize remote schools to receive supplemental categorical funding, subject to legislative appropriations, to support instructional and support staff; and

(2) Appropriate funds for remote schools categorical funding.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that small and geographically remote schools sometimes lack sufficient funds to cover programming above and beyond basic operations. In the case of Hana High and Elementary School, the budgetary shortfall has resulted in the loss of several well-qualified teachers and has threatened the school's ability to offer minimum course requirements for students. For students to take the requisite courses for graduation, those students will have to endure a nearly forty-mile, two-hour drive to the next closest public high school, King Kekaulike High School. This measure ensures that remote schools are funded to retain the minimal personnel and resources necessary to graduate 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 S.B. No. 692 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