STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 265-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2587

H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2587 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to expedite the funding process for charter schools by requiring that a larger percentage of each charter school's per-pupil allocation be disbursed by August 1^st each year, based on projected student enrollment.

The Hawaii Charter Schools Network, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Hookakoo Corporation, and the principals of Kualapuu Elementary School and Waimea Middle School submitted testimony in support of this bill. The Department of Education (DOE) submitted comments.

Your Committee notes that moneys disbursed to charter schools through this expedited schedule should be processed through the new program identification number EDN600 to ensure that DOE's checking account reserves are not adversely affected.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing the initial disbursement date for charter schools' per-pupil funding from August 1^st to July 15^th; and

(2) Changing the revised student enrollment count date for charter schools from December 1^st to October 15^th.

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. 2587, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2587, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

		____________________________ ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair