Proposals focus on
how DOE is run

---

By Lisa Asato
lasato@starbulletin.com

State lawmakers have whittled down to four the number of bills that would overhaul the way the state Department of Education is run.

Two bills were alive in the House as of yesterday's legislative deadline.

House Bill 2037 would abolish the statewide Board of Education and establish local district boards, with the governor appointing the schools superintendent from a list drawn up by a superintendent selection commission.

House Bill 2033 would allow the issue to be taken to the voters, who must approve any such change through a constitutional amendment.

Meanwhile, two Senate committees passed two schools' governance bills yesterday, but not necessarily on their merits. Senate Education Chairman Norman Sakamoto said the bills were passed just to keep the issue alive while another bill can be crafted.

Senate Bill 3018 would replace the Board of Education with regional boards, and Senate Bill 3007 would let the governor appoint the schools chief and also provide for the constitutional amendment.

"People shouldn't get to feel that we're passing these along and that's our position," said Sakamoto (D, Moanalua-Salt Lake). "Those are clearly vehicles" to keep the issue alive, he said.

Currently, voters elect a single statewide Board of Education, which, among other things, sets department policy and appoints the schools superintendent.

---

Legislature Directory

Legislature Bills & Hawaii Revised Statutes

Testimony by email: testimony@capitol.hawaii.gov
Include in the email the committee name; bill number;
date, time and place of the hearing; and number of copies
(as listed on the hearing notice.) For more information,
see http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/par
or call 587-0478.