STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1271

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 63

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 63 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO USE CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT AND CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE AND RELIEF SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT MONIES TO RETAIN TEACHERS AND PREVENT FURLOUGHS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Department of Education to use Coronavirus Aid, Relief, And Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136, and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act monies to retain teachers and prevent furloughs.

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

Your Committee finds that Hawaii continues to suffer from a shortage of licensed teachers with over one thousand vacancies every year. Prior to the economic crisis brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Education heavily depended on hiring teachers from the continent, many of whom leave the islands after a few years due to the hardship posed by the State's high cost of living. Teachers are also leaving the State at an increasing rate. Of the 1,116 teachers who separated from the Hawaii Department of Education in 2017-2018, four hundred twenty-three individuals left for the continent, a seventy percent increase from five years prior. These challenges have created more vacancies and have left positions to be filled by substitutes or emergency hires, especially in rural and high poverty schools. The Department of Education also struggled with recognizing and compensating teachers, thereby not retaining properly credentialed, effective, and committed teachers.

Your Committee further finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these existing issues related to teacher retention. Even with federal assistance coming in the form of funds from the CARES and CRRSA Acts, the Department of Education has $83,000,000 in projected shortfalls for fiscal year 2021, and $393,000,000 in fiscal year 2022. Your Committee also finds that while the Department of Education will prioritize federal monies for learning, the Department has also proposed using federal funds towards private tutors and summer school to target learning loss mitigation, while firing other teachers and school staff. Thus, federal monies received by the State for the Department of Education should be used to offset budget restrictions

that would otherwise result in layoffs, furloughs, or pay reduction.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 63 and recommends its adoption.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair