STAND. COM. REP. NO. 284

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 107

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 107 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:

(1) Authorize a majority of the members of the Board of Education to elect a chairperson from among the members of the Board;

(2) Authorize the members to annually elect a chairperson upon the start of the next confirmed term for members; and

(3) Remove the requirement that the chairperson be an at-large member.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Education.

Your Committee finds that providing high quality education to Hawaii's keiki is of paramount importance. The Board of Education's mission is to "promote excellence and equity in Hawaii's public schools and enable all students to meet their own unique and varied potentials". Through the formulation of policy, the Board of Education guides the Department of Education to ensure all Hawaii public school students can thrive and succeed during their academic careers. As policies implemented by the Board of Education ultimately impact students, ensuring effective leadership from the Board of Education is imperative to ensure all students in Department of Education schools receive a high quality education.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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. 107, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 107, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair