SB1137

SECTION 1. The legislature is committed to providing excellence in education in Hawaii. Under Act 51, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004, Reinventing Education Act, the legislature found that "[a]lthough the State's students, parents, teachers, school administrators, departmental staff, and other educational stakeholders strive to achieve excellence, their efforts will never be completely successful until various aspects of the system around them are improved."

The legislature reiterates its support for efforts by the department of education to improve Hawaii's schools to not only enhance the academic achievement, safety and well being, and civic commitment of students, but to also meet the evolving needs of today's communities. That need includes after-school programs that help facilitate academic achievement, fulfill recreational needs, and promote civic responsibilities, as demonstrated by existing programs on and off campus by the office of youth services, YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, and other agencies.

The State's after-school programs provide safe and supervised after-school education, enrichment, and recreation for students. Research demonstrates that youth who participate in after-school programs are less likely to drink alcohol, smoke, use drugs, or drop out of school.

Although the State provides the A Plus program for lower grades (and high schools have formal athletic programs), there are no formal after-school activities for students in grades six to twelve. One way to remedy this oversight is to provide for an after-school activities program coordinator. The coordinator position would be responsible for the coordination of all after‑school activities and ensure that all students have access to quality programs.

The purpose of this Act is to improve after-school programs by establishing a task force to review the State's current after-school activities programs and recommend improvements and appropriating funds for after-school activities and for a program coordinator.

SECTION 2. Section 302A-408, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§302A-408 After-school [~~and~~], weekend, and semester break programs. (a) The department and the appropriate county agencies may establish and regulate programs of after-school [~~and~~], weekend, and semester break community-school activities for children, including but not limited to [~~child-care programs,~~] academic, technology, visual arts [~~and crafts, hula, ukulele~~], performing arts, athletic, cultural, and other recreational [~~projects,~~] programs, wherever feasible, at public school and public park facilities. In addition to any appropriation of public funds, reasonable fees established by the agencies operating the programs may be collected from children enrolled, in the furtherance of particular programs. The appropriate agencies may obtain from time to time the services of department of education personnel, students, and persons in a voluntary or unpaid capacity, exempt from chapter 76, as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of this section, and may regulate their duties, powers, and responsibilities when not otherwise provided by law. Any person whose services have been so accepted, while engaged in the performance of duty under this section, shall be deemed a state employee or an employee of a political subdivision, as the case may be, in determining the liability of the State or the political subdivision for the negligent acts of these persons.

(b) There is established within the department of education an after-school activities program coordinator position to coordinate the State's after-school, weekend, and semester break programs; provided that the coordinator shall serve at the pleasure of the superintendent and may be established as a permanent position not subject to chapter 76.

(1) Allow the use of school facilities by public and private entities;

(2) Provide transportation services for students participating in the after-school activities program; and

(3) Authorize schools to charge a fee for the use of their facilities; provided that low income students may be charged a reduced fee."

SECTION 3. After-school activities task force. (a) There is established an after-school activities task force within the department of education. The after-school activities task force shall consist of the following members appointed by the superintendent of education:

(1) After-school activities program coordinator;

(2) Athletic directors;

(3) Two middle school administrators;

(4) Two high school administrators;

(5) A representative from the office of youth services;

(6) Two representatives of service organizations;

(7) A union representative;

(8) A representative from a religious organization;

(9) A representative from each county;

(10) Community college representatives; and

(11) Student representatives.

The number of members from paragraphs (2), (8), and (11) shall be determined by the superintendent.

(b) In carrying out its duties under this section, the task force may request staff assistance from the department of education, the department of human services, and other appropriate agencies.

(c) The members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, necessary for the performance of their duties.

(d) The task force shall:

(1) Review the types of after-school programs available in middle schools, including by means of asset mapping to geographically identify where the programs are administered and the population being served;

(2) Research the preferences of after-school activities of students, parents, and educators;

(3) Identify programs that attract students who do not normally participate in after-school activities;

(4) Identify public and private agencies willing to participate in after-school activities;

(5) Identify vacant or unused school facilities that can be used for after-school activities by public or private providers and determine if the land or facilities can be used by private providers to construct, lease, or rent;

(6) Determine available and potential resources for funding the establishment of new after-school activities;

(7) Establish a master plan to locate and construct new schools adjoining or adjacent to existing public or private recreational facilities when possible; and

(8) Recommend legislation for the implementation of an after-school, weekend, and semester break activities pilot program for students in grades six to twelve.

(e) The task force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including recommended legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2008 and shall cease to exist on June 30, 2008.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for an after-school activities program coordinator.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for after-school, weekend, and semester break programs.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that sections 4 and 5 shall be effective on July 1, 2007.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1137
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII