SR184 • 2026

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A PROPOSAL FOR A TIERED, COORDINATED, AND STANDARDIZED BELL SCHEDULE FRAMEWORK FOR DEPARTMENT SCHOOLS.

Education

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The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: KIM, CHANG, GABBARD, HASHIMOTO, San Buenaventura, Wakai
Last action: 2026-04-09
Official status: Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A PROPOSAL FOR A TIERED, COORDINATED, AND STANDARDIZED BELL SCHEDULE FRAMEWORK FOR DEPARTMENT SCHOOLS.

What This Bill Does

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A PROPOSAL FOR A TIERED, COORDINATED, AND STANDARDIZED BELL SCHEDULE FRAMEWORK FOR DEPARTMENT SCHOOLS.
DOE; Common Bell Schedule; Department Schools; Instructional Minutes

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SR184 SD1 THE SENATE S.R.

SR184 SD1 THE SENATE S.R.
NO.
184 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII SENATE RESOLUTION Requesting the Department of Education to develop a proposal for a tiered, coordinated, AND STANDARdized BELL schedule framework for department schools .

Bill History

2026-04-09 S
Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1).
2026-04-08 S
One Day Notice 04-09-26.
2026-04-08 S
Reported from EDU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 3517) with recommendation of adoption, as amended (SD 1).
2026-04-06 S
The committee(s) on EDU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in EDU were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Kim, Kidani, Hashimoto, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fukunaga.
2026-04-02 S
The committee(s) on EDU has scheduled a public hearing on 04-06-26 1:00PM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2026-03-19 S
Referred to EDU.
2026-03-16 S
Offered.

Official Summary Text

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO DEVELOP A PROPOSAL FOR A TIERED, COORDINATED, AND STANDARDIZED BELL SCHEDULE FRAMEWORK FOR DEPARTMENT SCHOOLS.
DOE; Common Bell Schedule; Department Schools; Instructional Minutes

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SR184

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

184

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

Requesting the Department of Education to develop a STANDARdized
BELL schedule framework for department schools
.

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WHEREAS, the
State has established minimum instructional hour requirements to ensure that
all public school students receive adequate and equitable educations; and

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WHEREAS, school
start and end times, however, 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

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WHEREAS, the
absence of standardized 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

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WHEREAS, establishing
a 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

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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,

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BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, that the Department of Education is requested to
develop a standardized bell schedule framework for department schools; and

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BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the standardized bell schedule framework is requested to:

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(1)
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Comply with all state and federal
instructional hours requirements; and

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(2)
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Be organized by school level, including:

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(A)
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Elementary
schools;

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(B)
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Middle or intermediate schools; and

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(C)
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High schools; and

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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 standardized
bell schedule framework; and

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BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent
of Education and Chairperson of the Board of Education.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
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DOE;
Common Bell Schedule; Department Schools; Instructional Minutes