SCR 198

THE SENATE
S.C.R. NO.
198
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII
SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
requesting the auditor to conduct a performance audit of the
Department of Education's process for establishing, classifying, and approving
administrative and program positions, and its supervision and evaluation of
Complex Area Superintendents.
���� WHEREAS, the
Department of Education is one of the largest public agencies in the State and
is responsible for the education of the State's public school children; and
���� WHEREAS, personnel
costs represent a significant portion of the Department's budget, and decisions
regarding the establishment of administrative and program positions have long‑term
fiscal and operational implications; and
���� WHEREAS, the
Superintendent of Education is vested with authority to organize and manage the
Department, including the establishment and classification of positions, and to
supervise Complex Area Superintendents, who are responsible for the oversight
and performance of schools within their respective regions; and
���� WHEREAS, the
Board of Education has a responsibility to provide governance and oversight for
the Department, including review and approval of certain organizational
structures and positions, and to ensure that appropriate systems are in place
to evaluate leadership performance across the Department; and
���� WHEREAS, ensuring
that the creation of positions and the supervision and evaluation of leadership
are transparent, consistent, and aligned with legislative intent is essential
to maintaining public trust and accountability; and
���� WHEREAS, questions
have been raised regarding the growth, justification, and approval processes
for administrative and program positions, as well as the effectiveness of
oversight and performance evaluation of Complex Area Superintendents; and
���� WHEREAS, an
independent, objective review of these Department functions by the Auditor would provide
clarity regarding current practices and identify opportunities to strengthen
governance, efficiency, accountability, and leadership effectiveness; now,
therefore,
���� BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the
Auditor is requested to conduct a performance audit of the Department of
Education's process for establishing, classifying, and approving administrative
and program positions, and its supervision and evaluation of Complex Area
Superintendents; and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the audit is requested to include but not be limited to an
examination of the following:
���� (1)� Authority and process, including:
��������� (A)� The
statutory and policy authority under which positions are created;
��������� (B)� The
process used by the Superintendent of Education to establish new positions; and
��������� (C)� The
criteria, documentation, and justification required to establish new positions;
���� (2)� Board of Education oversight, including:
��������� (A)� The
role of the Board of Education in reviewing and approving positions;
��������� (B)� The consistency and rigor of the Board of
Education's approval process; and
��������� (C)� Whether the Board of Education is provided
sufficient information to exercise effective oversight;
���� (3)� Growth and trends, including:
��������� (A)� The
number and types of administrative and program positions created in the
Department of Education over the past ten years; and
��������� (B)� Trends
in the growth of administrative positions compared to school-level or classroom
positions;
���� (4)� Alignment with legislative intent, including:
��������� (A)� Whether
the positions established align with legislative appropriations and policy
objectives; and
��������� (B)� Whether
positions are funded as was intended by the Legislature;
���� (5)� Fiscal impact, including the short- and
long-term fiscal impact of newly created positions, taking into account salaries,
benefits, and associated costs;
���� (6)� Organizational efficiency, including:
��������� (A)� Whether
there is duplication, overlap, or fragmentation of roles; and
��������� (B)� Whether
reporting structures are clear and effective;
���� (7)� Internal controls and accountability,
including:
��������� (A)� The
adequacy of internal controls governing position creation and approval; and
��������� (B)� Whether
there are safeguards to prevent unnecessary or duplicative positions;
���� (8)� Transparency and documentation, including:
��������� (A)� Whether
sufficient documentation exists to justify the creation of positions; and
��������� (B)� Whether
decisions are transparent and accessible to oversight bodies;
���� (9)� Comparative analysis, including a comparison
of the Department of Education's administrative staffing levels and structures
to those of similarly sized school systems;
��� (10)� Supervision of Complex Area Superintendents,
including:
��������� (A)� The
structure and processes by which the Department of Education supervises Complex
Area Superintendents;
��������� (B)� The
clarity of roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships; and
��������� (C)� The
extent to which supervision is consistent, documented, and aligned with
departmental goals;
��� (11)� Evaluation of Complex Area Superintendents,
including:
��������� (A)� The
criteria and metrics used to evaluate performance;
��������� (B)� The
frequency and rigor of evaluations;
��������� (C)� Whether
evaluations are tied to student outcomes, operational performance, and accountability
measures; and
��������� (D)� Whether
performance evaluations are used to inform personnel decisions, including
retention, promotion, or corrective action;
��� (12)� Accountability and performance management,
including:
��������� (A)� Whether
there are clear expectations and accountability mechanisms for Complex Area
Superintendents;
��������� (B)� The
extent to which underperformance is identified and addressed; and
��������� (C)� Whether
there are consistent standards applied across complex areas; and
��� (13)� Recommendations to improve governance,
transparency, efficiency, accountability, and leadership effectiveness; and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to submit a report of its findings and
recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no
later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027;
and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to
the Auditor, Chairperson of the Board of Education, and Superintendent of
Education.
Report Title:�
DOE; Performance;
CAS; Positions; Audit