HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 316 Draft 01 2006-2008 ..,,11~,.r a. a~
COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII
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RESOLUTION NO. 336 0'7
A RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO
ALLOW VOTERS STATEWIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE ON THE
FORMATION OF LOCALLY-ELECTED BOARDS OF EDUCATION.
WHEREAS, King Kamehameha III created the school governance system in Hawaii in
1840; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii is the only state in the nation that has a statewide board of
education; and
WHEREAS, the board of education has the power to set policy and exercise control over
the State's entire public school system and public library system; and
WHEREAS, the board of education consists of 14 members, including seven members
who are elected according to geographic regions, six who are elected at-lazge, and one non-
voting student member; and
WHEREAS, the board of education oversees 176,954 students in the state, as well as
thousands of faculty and staff in the schools and libraries; and
WHEREAS, one board member has represented Hawaii County since 1996; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii County's sole board member represents 25,996 public, charter, and
Hawaiian immersion school students, as well as thousands of faculty and staff in the schools and
libraries; and
WHEREAS, alocally-elected board of education would allow for more substantial
public input; and
WHEREAS, the opportunity for increased public input would create a level of
accountability that would ensure all stakeholders are represented fully and accurately; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of Hawai`i's school children, faculty, and staff that
voters in the state determine iflocally-elected boards of education, to govern over their
respective counties or districts within each of the counties, would be the optimal method to
ensure our public schools operate at their highest potential; and
WHEREAS, should each county or each district within each of the counties have their
own locally-elected boards of education, they could pass along concerns, suggestions and input
to each other, much as state agencies located on different counties work together to consolidate
information and operate at maximum efficiency; now, therefore,
BE IT IESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the
State Legislature and the governor are respectfully requested to place the question of locally-
elected boards of education, to govern over their respective counties or districts within each of
the counties, before the voters of the State of Hawaii; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall forward a copy of this
resolution to Governor Linda Lingle, Representative Jerry Chang, Representative Cindy Evans,
Representative Josh Green, Representative Faye Hanohano, Representative Robert Herkes,
Representative Dwight Takamine, Representative Clift Tsuji, Senator Lorraine Inouye, Senator
Russell Kokubun, Senator Paul Whalen, Senator Norman Sakamoto, Chair, Committee on
Education, and Representative Roy M. Takumi, Chair, Committee on Education.
Dated at Hilo Hawaii, this 3rd day of October , 2007.
INTRODUCED BY:
COUNCIL MBER, COUNTY OF HAWAII
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
County of Hawaii AYES NOES ABS EX
Hilo, Hawaii FORD X
HIGA X
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by HOFFMANN
the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the IKEDA X
County of Hawaii on ps-tnh~r 3, 2A07
JACOBSON X
NAEOLE X
ATTEST: PILAGO X
YAGONG X
YOSHIMOTO X
8 0 1 0
' ~ ~ Reference: C-635/PWIRC -34
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COUNTY CLERK CHAIRMAN SIDIN OFFICER RESOLUTION NO.
2