STAND

STAND. COM. REP. 2497

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2425

S.D. 1

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2425 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to expedite funding for new century charter schools.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from the Hookakoo Corporation, Waimea Middle School, Kualapuu Elementary School, Hawaii Charter Schools Network, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Good Beginnings Alliance, and Hawaii Political Action Council of Hawaii. Your Committee received comments regarding the measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the administration and service delivery of charter schools is often made difficult by delays in receipt of funding from the Department of Education. Nevertheless, charter schools cannot reasonably expect to receive all of their funding within the first two months of the school year. Fiscal responsibility on the part of the State of Hawaii requires that some of the funding be withheld for a certain period to offset any potential adjustments to the state budget.

Your Committee has amended the measure by:

(1) Requiring a new century charter school's per pupil allocation based on the new century charter school's projected student enrollment to be provided no later than July 20, instead of August 1;

(2) Authorizing the Legislature to adjust the most recently published Department of Education consolidated annual financial report; and

(3) Adding fringe and other employee benefits, and facility costs, to collective bargaining and other requested amounts that the Legislature may appropriate.

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 S.B. No. 2425, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2425, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

		____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair