The board amends its 2022 legislative policy positions to accommodate the change
Posted: February 17, 2022
The Hawaii Board of Education (BOE) voted unanimously Thursday to amend its general 2022 legislative policy positions to support legislation relating to increasing the compensation of school-level employees, including teachers, in public schools.
In a memo to the BOE’s Human Resources Committee Chair Kaimana Barcarse, the chair of the 2022 Legislative Ad Hoc Committee, Bill Arakaki, recommended the board amend its general legislative policy position to support bills related to teacher pay including Senate Bill 2819 SD1 (salary compression) and Senate Bill 2820 SD1 (shortage differentials).
Under its general legislative policy positions, the board added a statement on employee pay that said it supports proposed legislation that, “increases the compensation of school-level employees in public schools.”
In his written testimony to the board, Hawaii State Teachers Association President Osa Tui, Jr. stated, “The ongoing pandemic, and most recently the omicron variant, have laid bare the dire staffing shortages throughout our public school system that ultimately have a negative effect on providing the education that our keiki deserve. Ensuring that personnel can be recruited and retained for all positions is vital to the proper functioning of our public schools.”
Teacher compensation bills scheduled to move forward
Bills related to salary compression and funding shortage differentials won unanimous approval from the state Senate Education Committee late last month.
Senate Bill 2819 SD1 and Senate Bill 2820 SD1 will be heard Friday by the state Senate Ways and Means Committee at 10 a.m. You can watch the hearing live on the state Senate’s YouTube page.
Legislation is subject to amendment and change and the final outcome will not be clear unless and until lawmakers pass the bill in some form and it becomes law with or without Gov. David Ige’s signature.