STAND. COM. REP. NO. 347________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1328
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No.
1328 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to establish a pilot charter
school by requiring the Department of Education to enter into
agreements with nonprofit entities to construct, manage, and
operate one such school.

     The South Maui Learning Ohana submitted testimony in support
of the bill.  The Department of Education testified in support of
the intent of the bill, but with some concerns.

     The Hawaii State Teachers Association supported the vision
of the proposed charter school, but suggested several amendments.
The United Public Workers and the Hawaii Government Employees
Association opposed the bill, citing collective bargaining
concerns.

     Your Committee believes that various kinds of attempts
should be made to improve public education in Hawaii.  One
strategy that has been adopted by a number of states is to enable
interested groups to establish independent schools funded with
public funds, on the condition that these schools meet certain
requirements.  This bill is modeled after charter school
legislation in other states.


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 347________
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     Your Committee is sensitive to the various concerns that
were raised by testifiers and has addressed most of these
concerns by amending the bill as follows:

     (1)  Deleted the exemptions from collective bargaining;

     (2)  Appropriated funds for the Maui pilot charter school
          rather than as a grant to the South Maui Learning Ohana
          Incorporated; and

     (3)  Made technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes
          of style and clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
1328, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1328, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Employment.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Education,



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair