Bill > HB2344

This bill establishes a temporary, independent Public School Realignment and Closure Commission, modeled after the federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, to address declining public school enrollment and underutilized facilities in Hawaii. The commission, composed of nine members with expertise in areas like education, finance, and urban planning, will develop objective criteria to evaluate school facilities based on factors such as enrollment trends, facility condition, operational costs, and geographic proximity to other schools. After conducting a statewide review, the commission will submit a single, comprehensive list of recommended school consolidations, realignments, or closures to the Governor by October 1, 2027. The Governor will then have an expedited process to approve or disapprove the entire package without amendments, and if approved, it will be sent to the Legislature for a final up-or-down vote in 2028. If the Legislature approves the recommendations, the Department of Education will be required to implement them by July 1, 2028, and the commission will dissolve on June 30, 2028. The bill also appropriates funds for the commission's operational costs, with different effective dates for the appropriation and the main provisions of the Act.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2344&year=2026