001good afternoon calling to order the Education meeting this is Monday March 13th at 3 25 PM in room 229 welcome to the senate committee in education this meeting including the audio and video of remote participants is being streamlined Live on YouTube you'll find links to viewing options for all Senate meetings on the live and on-demand video page of the legislature's website this Zoom meeting and YouTube live stream event will include this 325 agenda for the Canadian education in the unlikely event that we must abruptly end this hearing due to Major technical difficulties the committee will be convene to discuss any outstanding business on Wednesday March 15th between 23 at 3 o'clock P.M in this room 229 and a public notice will be posted on the legislature's website I'd like to take this time to remind
002our testifiers that due to time restrictions on our hearings we will be limiting testimony to one minute per testifier per Bill where people participating remotely please remain muted and video disabled until shortly before it is your turn to testify when I call your name unmute yourself and your time will begin after your minute is completed staff will mute you so that we can move the hearing along in an already and efficient manner of course all right first up on our agenda it's House Bill 1330 HD1 relating to school bus services appropriate funds to the Department of Education for school bus services to testify superintendent Hayashi Kurt from Kurt photographs foreign Vice chair and Senator Richards Colonel two girl Deputy superintendent for the Department of Education and I'm testifying on behalf of our superintendent Keith ayashi
003Armin Stanton has written testimony in support of the measure there are reasons for the request in in the amount of the appropriation for the coming school years and I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have thank you thank you we have one other written testimony from Marianne capuni I in support is there anyone else here wishing to testify on this matter if not members any questions not looping along next item agenda House Bill 1045 relating to education requires a minor student's parent or legal guardian rather than the student to produce the required Student Records when transferring schools clarifies that emancipated minors May produce the required Student Records when transferring schools clarifies that the transfer process is the same with their transfer is within the same complex area or to another complex area exempts
004students eligible for assistance provided under the federal McKinney then to homeless assistant Act of 1987 from producing required Student Records when transferring schools just to find kisayashi's superintendent good afternoon Cherokee Donnie Vice chair chin and Senator Richard my name is Cara tanimura interim assistant superintendent testifying on behalf of the Department of Education the department stands on its written testimony in support of this measure thank you for the opportunity to testify thank you that's that's all the testimony we have is there anyone else here we should testify on this measure not members questions moving right along the last bill on the agenda is House Bill six nine HD one relating to after school programs appropriate sponsor the department of education's resources for enrichment Athletics culture and health program to testify kitayashi superintendent please good afternoon again
005Tara time mura as interim assistant superintendent Justified on behalf of the Department of Education again we stand on our written testimony in support of this measure thank you during that suggested by sharingakamura Aloha chair Vice chair Kim and Senator Richards Sherry Nakamura director of Coalition we also stand on our testimony and support thank you thank you Sherry next to testify Paula Adams executive director of Hawaii after school Alliance hi good afternoon Vice chairman Kim and Senator Richards Paul Laurence from the Hawaii after school Alliance we are here in Singapore of this bill as you know after school programs are a key element for the life of our middle school and Intermediate School students and we hope that this build classes and supporters the students thank you thank you for love we also have five written
006testimonies in support is there anyone else here wishing to testify this measure thank you Aloha chair meister and the education committee Angela Melody Young on behalf of cares community art Recreation Education Services we have a small developing Grassroots art class um based in Kalihi and there's one of my students I won't say she's my favorite because I tell everyone they're my favorite but I don't play favorites um yeah so you know um according to the after-school Alliance and National summer learning Association summer programs and um out of school after school programs is proven to provide the support that students need in addition to balancing the academic experience and providing opportunities for healthy meals active play and Hands-On vocational experiences extracurricular activities um also provide the social emotional support it helps with cognitive development and it
007helps them to think critically students and children from low-income households often experience a lot of gains from these programs oftentimes teachers parents and program coordinators put an over emphasis on academics instead of addressing students need for nurture care Social Development support and mental health awareness social stressors are inevitable bullying ostracizing um or just School drama these are the sources of trauma for students it is important to recognize student times are not capable of processing and healing on their own it is an Educator's duty to help students with this and to communicate to principals and schools if there's a gap to be addressed and many incentives in many instances it is not an opportunity Gap creating a disparity in access to Quality education and resources that causes students to be unsuccessful in many instances students are
008unsuccessful because you don't they do not have access to adequate social and mental emotional support outside of the classroom that can be provided from after school and summer programs SB 2818 from last season was enacted into an act and provided for one summer coordinator position at Dole so supporting and appropriating funds for reach after school programs is very necessary thank you for the opportunity to testify thank you Angela could you please provide a copy to us with this one you can email that to us anyone else here wishing to testify this measure members questions sure um yeah I think it's gonna be for doe so for um this House Bill 69 we talk about the programs and supportive of it yes but on the big island the bigger problem is the transportation which is paradoxical
009because we're talking about 1330 as well is there going to be an effort to tie this together because no sense having the program if the kids can't get to it and then get home afterwards that's something we found was a bigger problem than the program itself is the transportation I see if we can work with um Deputy Orton girls shop and figure out the transportation for the students because I can appreciate in 13 30 they talk about what we're short of CDL Drivers and that's why we're having a bus shortage and Big Island we don't um we don't have enough bus drivers anyway but the transportation is very supportive of both of this but they have to be tied together especially for the neighbor Islands otherwise it doesn't work thank you so thank you thank
010you chair so your testimony talks about how this measure aligns with Department's high level uh High leverage priority of middle level middle level education to support student academic growth and social economic learning and yet on the next slide you say we request your prohibition provided that it does not adversely affect the priorities identified in the voice of your budget so apparently this is not in the board's budget and so it's only a priority if it doesn't comes out of the budget I'm not sure how they're to compute I'm not sure either but um we know that middle level education and the after school program for middle school students is a priority of the department and of superintendent Hayashi I don't think we put anything into the budget so perhaps that's why but but if it's
011if it's such a priority then why isn't a part of the budget why we need to make room of the budget if it's so important um you know it's like okay well that doesn't do you think it's important that you put in the money but you're saying that you're testifying that it is so why isn't it [Music] and it's important and I believe it is important yeah um but then you guys predicted to invested or provide it um that it does not adversely affect the priority so apparently this is not a priority and it affects our other priorities then this is not yes so if I square that sure thank you thank you so Senator there was a request from deal with 2.5 million to be put into the budget I'm not quite sure I
012don't remember when that request came yeah did you say here apartment secondly request appropriation yeah which was in the first draft to expand the accuracy for provided so that it does not accept adversely affect the priorities identified in the Department's board approved budget absolutely okay thank you squirt thank you thank you members further questions okay recess convening the committee in education um the Department of Education Senator Kim had a further questions foreign and yet you acknowledge in your testimony as well as we know um all over the country that they're having a hard time finding bus drivers right and so in your testimony you go these points could be used to encourage School little school level staff with some initial training to become friends like this drivers qualified staff is actually going to be a
013bus drive thanks for the question Senator it that's a difficult question to answer specifically right now what we're looking for is a salary measure for differentials that we could provide we obviously have to talk to the unions about that to get to encourage and send some of these drivers who what kind of school level staff would you do would you send um you know my limited knowledge of this it could be as athletic director it could be a coach it could be different levels of individuals not necessarily tied to academics within the larger schools would have an easier time doing that obviously um and that that's the Dilemma because where we're seeing issues is are in the rural areas where they may not have the resources so that's that's a very good question but we're
014hoping that if the measure is passed that we would look to accommodation of different things to get creative and get outside the box or differential pay um it's just something we're going to create that's not there today because you know coaches have practices after school I mean so I don't know how available they would be I'm just not just not sure and is that how would These funds be utilized so you know I hate to see us spending money and then it's not utilizing the way it's supposed to yeah it worries me like with the kindergarten assessment how we you know we need to spend a million dollars on stuff that I don't know that we we really could get uh what we had hoped that we would get and it's 22 million dollars you
015know when we can't get the bus drivers you're going to spend money on training and differential at the end of the day what it's going to give us a handful yeah the bulk of the increase what we're asking for is the the last bus contract for the state or the Department of Education was 10 years ago and so as we're issuing the RP we have the indications that the bids coming back are substantially higher as opposed to 10 years ago so that the funds for this would go to the new bus contract uh which we do need to have what was the old bus contract 10 years ago I had that number I I think it was more I got to get the specific number I believe it's more like about 13 million okay so
016this 22 million encompasses the increases about a 30 increase is so it's that plus um as you know we did a pilot for some of the bus companies the counties to provide bus passes and so the funding for that is up and so we've been talking with different colonies we've thought without sitting kind of Honolulu they're very receptive to helping the Subspace great job how much you anticipate is going to be for the bus contract how would you anticipate is going to be for bus fares and what did I just talked about and how much is going to be left over for initial training or differentials or whatever okay and that this money is not going to be spent for anything else yes ma'am I will do that um Kurt also I think I would
017like to ask with regard to Senator Richard's comments about the neighbor islands and how that's just because of the long distances parents had to drive to work that the after-school programs are very helpful for their students but again with the bust driver shortage um are we looking at buying vans so that anybody can drive them I mean even the instructors 15 passenger unless yes that is something the schools are doing uh but not systematically so you're right in the rural areas it's sent to Richards knows we have a challenge of the Big Island specifically and others not just for a student that we have special education issues I mean Transportation has become a big challenge for for the state so we need to put our heads together and figure that out so you're not moving
018that possibility out that you end up having to buy bands rather than rely on school buses or city bus advance for normal pickup we can get by there's some compliance issues when he gets a special education there are more requirements specifically through the vehicle we also we are also working with the Department of Transportation requesting for an exemption to provide that kind of temporary relief for these kinds of routes specific routes and directors and others have been receptive to it so we're in that final stage of finalizing that request so it's not one size it's going to fit all sector unfortunately so has the department and I don't know if other states have um try to do this is to ask the federal government to re-look at the qualifications of the bus drivers for instance
019why we could not use military drivers those kinds of things any kind of health because of the the issues that were had it's a good idea and it's not just buses it's the heavy truck drive is also better having um I think it's maybe time especially for us that we're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with where we can't get the drivers to cross the county line and drive for us that's correct um maybe it's time that we do go down that road okay good suggestion thank you um so in the breakdown that I asked for can you show us um what percentage of that monies would be used for these band drivers one and two whether or not it's going to also include after school because you're not mandated to do after school
020and if you're telling us and you're telling the senator from the big island that you're gonna you know work it out but oh if there's there's 22 million dollars where where is that little piece of the pie going to come from I'm sorry okay thank you so members the recommendation of the chair is going to be to pass this bill with amendments to defect the date to July 1 2050. and note in the committee report that the doe has requested an appropriation of 22 million dollars okay I'm sure what's eye on House Bill 1330 how's draft one with amendments Vice Chairman's eye Senator Camino is excused Senator Richards aye Senator Fernandez excuse remember is president of your recommendations adapted thank you for House Field 1045 and 25 HD1 relating to education recommendation of the chair
021is also going to be to pass this with amendments defecting the date to July 1 2050 questions Senate Bill 1045 HD1 if it passed with amendments Vice chairs reply um Senator Richards aye Sabrina can you run into those excuse to remembers president recommendations adopted thank you for the final bill House Bill 69 HD1 relating to programs the recommendation of the chair is also going to be the passes with amendments and to defect the date to July 1 2050 and noting in the committee report that the doe is requesting an appropriation of 2.5 million dollars cheerful Science Center Bill 69 house Chef win with amendments any major anyone voting with opposition or reservations if not to remembrance president of voting line for the two members are excused recommendations adopted thank you and that concludes our meeting
022ladies