STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2143

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2608

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. 2608 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Board of Education to conduct annual self-evaluations, report a summary of its findings to the Legislature, and post the summary on its public website.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Community Children's Councils Legislative Committee, Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that transparent self-evaluation is in the interests of the Board of Education, as well as the public interest.  Regular self-evaluation will allow the Board to diagnose developing issues before they become serious problems, and to correct any concerns that currently exist in the Board's operations.

     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. 2608 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair