STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3006

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3334

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3334, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve the efficiency and structure of the Department of Education.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Divides the Department of Education into an unspecified number of district offices, each having a Superintendent for Academics and Deputy District Superintendents having specified authority;

(2) Specifies various requirements for the District Superintendents and Deputy District Superintendents regarding performance evaluations, applicability of the civil service law, salaries, and ethics disclosures;

(3) Repeals the Complex Area Superintendent positions; and

(4) Specifies that School Community Councils shall submit Principal evaluations to the Superintendent of Education.

Prior to the hearing on this measure, your Committee made available for public review a proposed S.D. 2, which deletes the measure's contents and inserts language that:

(1) Caps the number of superintendent-level positions within the Department of Education;

(2) Requires the Department of Education to include in its annual budget submission a report identifying all superintendent-level positions, their duties, associated salaries, and associated work-related travel expenses; and

(3) Requires the Board of Education to conduct a written performance evaluation every two years of each Complex Area Superintendent, to transmit the evaluations to the Superintendent, and to make the evaluations available to members of the Legislature.

Your Committee received written comments in support of the proposed S.D. 2 from the Hawaii State Teachers Association and several individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to the proposed S.D. 2 from numerous Department of Education employees and other individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on the proposed S.D. 2 from the Board of Education, Department of Education, Hawaii Government Employees Association, and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that there are currently twenty-seven superintendent-level positions in the Department of Education, consisting of twenty-five positions approved and created by the Legislature and two created by the Superintendent of Education. Your Committee further finds that this measure institutes a cap on the number of Complex Area Superintendent positions, but does not prohibit the Department of Education from seeking additional positions through legislative appropriation. Your Committee believes requiring periodic performance evaluations of each Complex Area Superintendent will help improve student academic performance and departmental fiscal responsibility.

Your Committee has amended this measure by adopting the proposed S.D. 2, and further amending it by:

(1) Changing the cap on superintendent-level positions from twenty-seven to an unspecified number; and

(2) Inserting an appropriation of an unspecified amount out of the general fund to establish two full-time equivalent Deputy Superintendent positions within the Office of the Superintendent.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3334, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3334, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair