STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1466-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: S.B. No. 2218
                                     S.D. 1
                                     H.D. 2




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Finance,
to which was referred S.B. No. 2218, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NEW CENTURY CHARTER SCHOOLS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to:

     (1)  Provide legal protection to New Century Charter School
          (Charter School) boards;

     (2)  Require the Auditor to consider the recommendations of
          local school boards in determining the allocations for
          Charter Schools;

     (3)  Require the Auditor to develop a fund allocation
          methodology that can be applied to various alternative
          forms of public schools, including Charter Schools;

     (4)  Appropriate funds for the establishment of additional
          Charter Schools; and

     (5)  Allow groups of teachers to form a Charter School.

     The Hawaii State Teachers Association and many individuals
supported this bill.  The Department of Education (DOE) supported
this bill with proposed amendments.  The Hawaii Government
Employees Association supported the intent of this bill with
reservations.

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1466-00
                                 Page 2

 

     Your Committees find that Charter Schools will empower
educators and provide them the opportunity to to be innovative
with their curricula.  Your Committees desire to encourage these
aspects of Charter Schools, but at the same time, want to
establish criteria for educational and fiscal accountability in
these schools that are comparable to those governing other public
schools.  Furthermore, Charter Schools should be encouraged to be
as fiscally prudent as possible, and should utilize existing
infrastructure and personnel whenever possible.

     Therefore, upon further consideration, your Committees have
amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring that no additional general funds be expended
          for the purposes of this bill except those allocated
          pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a)(1) and (2)
          of section 302A-1185, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (2)  Requiring the establishment of financial and academic
          criteria for accountability and graduation requirements
          equivalent to state standards for Charter Schools; and

     (3)  Deleting the specification that funds appropriated for
          Charter Schools be applied in part to start-up costs
          including hiring new personnel and excluding personnel
          who transfer to the Charter School from another school
          or the DOE.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Labor and Public Employment and Finance that are
attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the
intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2218, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended
herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form
attached hereto as S.B. No. 2218, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committees on Labor and Public
                                   Employment and Finance,

                                   
                                   
                                   
                                   
______________________________     ______________________________
DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair          TERRY NUI YOSHINAGA, Chair