This Senate Resolution requests the Hawaii Department of Education to reissue Requests for Proposals for contractors under the Future Schools Now program, which uses job order contracting to quickly repair school facilities. The bill directly affects the state education agency and construction firms, asking them to restart the bidding process for both general contractors and prequalified small businesses before current contracts expire. By reissuing these proposals in 2026, the resolution aims to ensure continuous funding and services for school repairs without interruption, maintaining the program's ability to address the state's backlog of facility maintenance. The Department of Education is also asked to submit a report to the Legislature by early 2027 detailing the program's progress, including the number of projects completed and total spending.
This Senate Resolution asks Hawaii's Department of Education to create a standardized bell schedule framework for all public schools in the state. The proposal aims to address current inconsistencies in school start and end times that create challenges for families, transportation planning, and coordination with community programs. The framework would organize schedules by school level - elementary, middle, and high school - while allowing local flexibility within state instructional hour requirements. The Department of Education is directed to consult with school administrators, teachers, parents, students, and transportation providers during the development process.
This Senate Resolution asks the Hawaii Department of Education to create a system that assigns responsibility for monitoring school construction and repair projects to local school leaders in each complex area. Under this proposal, local Complex Area Superintendents and their staff would oversee project progress from planning through completion, while the state Office of Facilities and Operations would keep overall management authority and provide statewide oversight. The resolution requires local leaders to submit quarterly reports on project status, budget, and any delays to the state office, which would then review the reports and offer technical assistance. The Department of Education must also develop clear procedures defining roles and responsibilities for all parties and report back to the Legislature by early 2027 with details on the new framework.
This Senate Resolution urges the Hawaii Department of Education to inform students aged sixteen and older about how to preregister to vote before they turn eighteen. The bill directs schools to provide specific guidance on voter eligibility, registration procedures, and opportunities to volunteer at voter service centers, while also making paper application forms and accessibility resources available. Additionally, it designates the last two weeks of September each year as a dedicated period for high schools to hold voter registration and preregistration events with election officials present. This measure aims to increase civic engagement among youth by making voting information more accessible within the school system.
This Senate resolution urges the Hawaii Department of Education and Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to create a joint plan connecting local farmers with the new AINA Kitchen Network, which will supply school meals statewide. The plan would identify specific crops needed at each construction phase, assess current local production capacity, and develop strategies to help farmers scale operations through infrastructure investment and multi-year contracts. It also calls for replacing handwritten procurement records with a centralized digital tracking system to improve oversight and ensure schools meet their 30% local food sourcing target by 2030.
This Senate Resolution requests the University of Hawaii to create a specific pathway for studying the Niihau dialect of the Hawaiian language. The bill recognizes that the Niihau community has preserved a distinct version of Hawaiian that differs from the dialects used in mainstream immersion schools and other educational settings. It aims to formally acknowledge the unique linguistic heritage of Niihau speakers and ensure their specific language needs are addressed within higher education. The resolution directs a copy of this request to the President of the University of Hawaii System for consideration.
This Senate Resolution requests the Hawaii Department of Education to merge two existing adult education schools, McKinley Community School for Adults and Waipahu Community School for Adults, into one statewide program called the Hawaii State Community School for Adults. The bill aims to improve program coordination, streamline operations, and better serve adult learners by creating a unified system that maintains current services while expanding access across the state. The resolution directs the Department to consult with affected employees and their representatives before implementation, develop a transition plan to minimize disruptions, and set a target start date of July 1, 2026.
This Senate Resolution requests that Hawaii's Board of Education work with the Department of Education to make completing a standalone financial literacy course a graduation requirement for public high school students. The bill specifically asks for a formal vote to approve this requirement, teacher professional development credits, identification of funding sources, tracking of student completion, and a curriculum plan based on community input. It argues that a dedicated course is more effective than integrating financial literacy into other subjects or the Personal Transition Plan, citing evidence that financial skills improve with focused instruction. The resolution reflects concerns about declining financial literacy among younger generations and the potential long-term benefits of ensuring all students receive practical financial education.
This bill urges the Hawaii Department of Education to add tax instruction as a major topic area within the state's existing financial literacy graduation requirement for public school students. The resolution specifically recommends that tax education cover practical skills such as completing a 1040 form, understanding W-4 forms, payroll deductions, and the differences between federal and state income taxes. As a Senate resolution, the bill does not create new legal requirements but instead formally requests the Department of Education to incorporate these tax concepts into the financial literacy standards already in place for students starting with the Class of 2030.
This Senate Concurrent Resolution requests the Hawaii Department of Education to combine the McKinley and Waipahu Community Schools for Adults into one statewide program called the Hawaii State Community School for Adults. The bill aims to improve coordination, streamline operations, and better serve adult learners by creating a unified system that maintains current services while expanding program quality. It directs the Department to consult with employee representatives, develop a transition plan to minimize disruption, and target a July 1, 2026 start date for the new unified program.
