Senate drops plan
to end statewide
school board

The bill, approved by the
House, would have set up 15
locally elected district boards

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By B.J. Reyes
Associated Press

A proposal to abolish the state Board of Education will not go to voters this year after a House-Senate conference committee deferred the matter yesterday.

The proposal to abolish the statewide board and set up seven local school districts called for a constitutional amendment that would go on the general election ballot in November.

The deferral essentially kills the measure because yesterday marked the deadline for proposed constitutional amendments to pass out of conference.

Yesterday's action also comes a day after House conferees agreed to the Senate's version of the bill only to have Norman Sakamoto, Senate conference committee co-chairman, balk.

Sakamoto (D, Moanalua-Salt Lake) said many of his colleagues only agreed to pass the measure along to conference committee as a way of keeping alive the debate on education reform.

He said that after conferring with colleagues, the measure did not appear to have enough support.

Ken Ito (D, Kaneohe), House conference committee co-chairman, had said the House version of the bill was the result of bipartisan cooperation and that his colleagues were hoping to have the issue put to voters this year.

Minority House members criticized senators, calling the deferral a disappointment for efforts to bring about education reform in Hawaii.

"It was kind of odd that the House actually agreed to the Senate version," said House conferee Rep. Kika Bukoski (R, Puunene-Paia-Makawao). "Usually when the House agrees to the Senate version, the Senate is ecstatic, and it moves on its happy way."

The House proposal called for the governor to appoint a state superintendent to establish statewide educational policy, which would be implemented by 15 locally elected district boards.

Supporters of abolishing the state board say the body is disconnected from the communities and has become too large a bureaucracy.

Opponents of the proposal, who include the Hawaii State Teachers Association, say the board is needed to implement policies on a statewide basis.

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