H.B. 723 Summary

• Establishes "Schools Our Keiki Deserve Act" requiring 20% of elementary school student hours and 10% of middle school student hours be allocated to whole child education including arts, music, theater, dance, Hawaiian studies, and physical education beginning in 2020-2021.

• Requires all public schools to hire librarians/library media specialists, technology coordinators, counselors, and special education transition coordinators at secondary schools by 2020-2021, with additional funding through weighted student formula.

• Provides special education teachers with at least 40 hours annually for individualized education program tasks and $1,690 per year for instructional materials; appropriates $3,500,000 for fiscal year 2019-2020.

• Establishes teacher recruitment program to recruit high school students into teaching profession and requires principals to consult with teachers before presenting academic and financial plans to school community councils.

• Reduces class size limits starting 2021-2022: elementary classes capped at 20 students and secondary at 26 students; special education inclusion classes capped at 15 (elementary) or 20 (secondary) students.