STAND. COM. REP. NO. 285

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 156

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. 156 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) Require the Board of Education to hold not less than six community forums annually, with at least one community forum in each county;

(2) Require the Board of Education to include an open forum for public comments on non-agenda items; and

(3) Require a report to the Legislature on implementing open forums.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Information Practices, Moms for Liberty Honolulu County, Hawai‘i Association of School Psychologists, and seven 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 through their academic careers. Therefore, the policies created and implemented by the Board of Education ultimately impact public school students throughout the State. This measure will create additional opportunities to facilitate community dialogue through open forums with the Board of Education members, allowing local communities to share experiences, feedback, and opinion on the direction of Hawaii's public school education.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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. 156, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 156, 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