HI HR151

Department of Education must contract with a third-party school finance consultant to conduct a study on the adequacy of public education funding in Hawaii.

Consultant must specialize in school finance and have previous experience conducting studies of public education systems in multiple jurisdictions.

Study shall assess funding equity among schools, review funding studies from other states (including Vermont 2016 and Washington 2007 studies), and employ multiple evaluation methods.

Study must identify variables associated with high-quality education, estimate additional funding needed for equal educational opportunity, and compare Hawaii teacher salaries with similar-sized districts to evaluate teacher recruitment and retention.

Department of Education shall submit completed study to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the 2021 Regular Session.