STAND. COM. REP. NO. 931

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1376

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Education and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1376, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Establish a Facilities Alignment Commission to establish criteria for the selection of public schools to be constructed, expanded, consolidated, or closed and to recommend, based upon these criteria, a list of areas for new school construction, and of schools for expansion, consolidation, or closure, subject to the review of the Legislature; and

 

     (2)  Direct the Board of Education to proceed with the process of constructing, expanding, consolidating, or closing schools according to the recommendations of the Facilities Alignment Commission, if the Legislature does not disapprove of the recommendations in their entirety.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by four private organizations.  One state agency submitted testimony in opposition.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee understands that the Department of Education and the Board of Education have already begun a process to identify clusters of schools where school consolidation should be reviewed as provided in chapter 8-38, Hawaii Administrative Rules.  To date, a task force to study the possible consolidation of Wailupe Valley and Aina Haina Elementary Schools has been organized, has met three times, has submitted a report to the Complex Area Superintendent, and the Complex Area Superintendent has instructed the task force to hold a public hearing.  Following the public hearing, the task force will make its recommendation to the Complex Area Superintendent, who in turn will make a recommendation to the Superintendent, who in turn will make a recommendation to the Board of Education.  Your Committee has heard that the Superintendent's recommendation will be delivered to the Board in April.

 

     In addition, your Committee understands that three more task forces, one to study the consolidation of Keanae and Hana Schools, another to study the consolidation of the elementary schools on Molokai, and a third to study the consolidation of Waiahole, Kaaawa, and Hauula elementary schools have been appointed.  The Department also has identified sixteen additional clusters of schools where consolidation studies should be undertaken, and the Department intends to initiate the studies of all sixteen areas within the next twenty-four months.

 

     Your Committee commends the Department and the Board of Education for their proactive response on this matter, and anticipates their initial recommendations in a few weeks.  However, your Committee believes additional alternatives should not be dismissed as unnecessary, and will advance this measure as one means of continuing alternatives.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by amending the effective date to July 1, 2040, for the purposes of continuing discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1376, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1376, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

		____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair