S.B. 2544 Summary

• Amends Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 302A-1303.5 to require the Department of Education Committee on Weights to consider inequities and negative consequences of its weighted student formula recommendations on small and remote schools.

• Mandates the Committee on Weights to report identified inequities or negative consequences to the board and provide funding adjustment recommendations to ameliorate them.

• Defines "small and remote school" as public schools that are: located at least one hour's drive from the nearest public high school; located on Lanai, Molokai, or Niihau; elementary schools with fewer than 200 students; or secondary schools with fewer than 400 students.

• Changes the Committee on Weights' authority from discretionary ("may") to mandatory ("shall") for core functions including creating weighted student lists, establishing weight systems, determining student weights, and recommending formulas to the board.

• Takes effect upon approval.