HI HR116

Requests the Hawaii Department of Education to submit a comprehensive report on public school funding to the legislature by 20 days before the 2017 Regular Session convenes.

Report must include district-to-district comparisons of per-pupil spending and teacher salaries between Hawaii and mainland school districts of similar sizes and cost of living.

Report must address funding needed for air conditioning in approximately 7,000 classrooms, reducing class sizes to 20 students for elementary and 26 for secondary schools, and staffing all schools with librarians, counselors, and other support personnel.

Report must evaluate weighted student formula changes for fiscal equity, funding for arts and Native Hawaiian programming, vocational and career pathway expansion, and teacher salary alignment with years of service.

Report must include budgetary projections and strategies for minimizing administrative costs and departmental overhead expenses.