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