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SR 185

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO IDENTIFY SCHOOLS HAVING AGING EQUIPMENT AND REPLACE THE EQUIPMENT WITH NEW AND MODERNIZED EQUIPMENT.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Henry Aquino and 4 co-sponsors

Hawaii requests DOE identify and replace aging school equipment with modernized alternatives, but provides no funding or mandatory implementation timeline.

Referred to EDU.
#doe #education #equipment #modernization #replacement #upgrades
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Bill Summary · SR 185

Legislative bill overview

SR 185 is a request (not mandatory legislation) asking Hawaii's Department of Education to audit schools statewide to identify aging equipment and develop a replacement plan with modernized alternatives. The bill does not appropriate funds or mandate specific timelines, but rather directs the DOE to assess infrastructure needs and report findings.

Why is this important

Aging school equipment affects student learning outcomes, increases maintenance costs, and can pose safety risks in classrooms and laboratories. Modernized equipment improves educational quality, reduces downtime, and may enhance student engagement in STEM and vocational programs. However, this is resource-intensive, with potential price tags in the hundreds of millions of dollars for a statewide upgrade.

Potential points of contention

  • Funding mechanism unclear: The resolution requests action but provides no funding source, budget estimate, or appropriation—leaving implementation dependent on future legislative action and DOE discretion
  • Scope and prioritization ambiguous: "Aging equipment" is undefined; without clear criteria, schools may compete for limited resources, and rural/smaller schools could be disadvantaged
  • Implementation timeline absent: No deadline specified means the DOE could delay action indefinitely without accountability measures or performance benchmarks

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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