SB973 would create a new statutory requirement in Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, directing the Department of Education to pay a salary differential to educators who provide direct services to English language learners and who either hold a valid ESL/ESOL teaching license with an English as a second language endorsement or meet an equivalent qualification determined by the department. The bill is intended to address a documented shortage of qualified English language learner educators and to improve support for students whose primary language is not English.
The measure also includes an appropriation from general revenues for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 to fund the differential pay. The money would be administered by the Department of Education, but it could not be released until the superintendent of education and the exclusive representative of collective bargaining unit (5) execute a memorandum of understanding. The bill would take effect on July 1, 2025.
Impact
If enacted, SB973 would add a new pay-differential provision to Hawaii education law and create a dedicated funding stream for English language learner educators. It would affect Department of Education compensation practices, likely within the framework of collective bargaining unit (5), and would establish eligibility criteria tied to licensure or equivalent qualifications. The bill would also require future appropriations to support the differential, making the policy dependent on both legislative funding and labor-management agreement.
Sentiment
The available bill text reflects a strongly supportive posture toward the measure, emphasizing the urgency of the educator shortage and the need to attract and retain qualified staff. No committee transcripts or recorded votes are provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or amendment debate in the materials supplied. Overall, the bill appears framed as a workforce and student-support initiative rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are the cost of the appropriation, the size of the differential left blank in the bill text, and the requirement that funds not be released until a memorandum of understanding is reached with the bargaining unit representative. Another possible issue is how the Department of Education would define and verify “equivalent” qualifications for educators who do not hold the specified license and endorsement. These issues would likely concern fiscal stakeholders, labor representatives, and administrators responsible for implementation.
Provides that for each fiscal year commencing on or after July 1, 2025, the city of New York shall provide an excess differential offset to each person who was employed by the board of education as a paraprofessional for all or part of such year.
Provides that for each fiscal year commencing on or after July 1, 2025, the city of New York shall provide an excess differential offset to each person who was employed by the board of education as a paraprofessional for all or part of such year.
Provides that for each fiscal year commencing on or after July 1, 2025, the city of New York shall provide an excess differential offset to each person who was employed by the board of education as a paraprofessional for all or part of such year.