SCR 196

THE SENATE
S.C.R. NO.
196
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII
H.D. 1
SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A PROPOSAL FOR A TIERED, COORDINATED, AND
STANDARDIZED BELL SCHEDULE FRAMEWORK FOR DEPARTMENT SCHOOLS.
���� WHEREAS, the
State has established minimum instructional hour requirements to ensure that
all public school students receive adequate and equitable educations; and
���� WHEREAS,
currently, the bell schedule for each school is determined at the school level
via a collaborative process that affords the school administration flexibility
to tailor the allocation of time according to individual academic goals and
operational nuances; and
���� WHEREAS, as a
result, however, school start and end times vary widely across public schools
and complex areas, creating challenges for families with children at multiple
grade levels, complicating transportation planning, and limiting opportunities
for coordination with community programs, athletics, and extracurricular
activities; and
���� WHEREAS, the
absence of standardization across bell schedules also produces operational
inefficiencies for the Department of Education, particularly with respect to
school bus routing, staffing, professional development planning, and shared
services across schools or complex areas; and
���� WHEREAS,
ongoing school bus service disruptions, including discontinued, consolidated,
and unfulfilled routes, have created significant challenges for students and
families across the State; and
���� WHEREAS,
establishing a coordinated standardized bell schedule framework by school
level, while preserving local flexibility within instructional hour
requirements, would promote greater predictability, equity, and efficiency
across the public education system; and
���� WHEREAS,
improved coordination of school bell schedules represents a practical strategy
to maximize limited transportation resources by enabling more efficient routing
and increasing the number of students that can be served by existing bus
capacity; and
���� WHEREAS, a
consistent scheduling structure may also support student well-being by aligning
instructional hours with age-appropriate learning needs and facilitating
collaboration among educators across schools and complex areas; 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
Department of Education is requested to develop a proposal for a tiered,
coordinated, and standardized bell schedule framework for department schools; provided
that the framework is requested to be developed in consultation with affected
stakeholders, including collective bargaining representatives, and comply with
applicable collective bargaining agreements, and may consider adoption at the
complex area or regional level rather than requiring site-based consensus at
each individual school; and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the proposed tiered, coordinated, and standardized bell schedule
framework is requested to:
���� (1)� Comply with all state and federal
instructional hours requirements;
���� (2)� Be organized by school level, including:
��������� (A)� Elementary
schools;
��������� (B)� Middle or intermediate schools; and
��������� (C)� High schools; and
���� (3)� Consider coordination of noninstructional
waiver days across schools or complex areas; and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to consult with school
administrators, teachers, collective bargaining representatives, parents,
students, and transportation providers in the development of the proposed
framework; and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit its proposal
to the Legislature for further consideration and discussion no later than
thirty 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 Chairperson of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Education.
Report Title:�
DOE;
Common Bell Schedule; Department Schools; Instructional Minutes