STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 330

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1136

H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1136, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to improve public education through the operation of charter schools. Specifically, this bill:

(1) Creates an effective framework for overseeing and supporting new and existing charter schools by establishing the Task Force on Charter School Governance (Task Force) to identify and recommend revisions to the existing charter school law; and

(2) Ensures more equitable and stable funding for the basic operations of new century charter schools by:

(a) Changing the formula base and enrollment figures used to determine charter school funding to a per pupil cost funding mechanism based on most recent average enrollment and a global total of all enacted Department of Education (DOE) budget appropriations minus supplemental requirements;

(b) Ensuring that new century charter schools have access to all federal education funds that are received by the State and authorizing the charter school administration office to manage these federal funds; and

The Hookakoo Corporation and numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. Halau Ku Mana Public Charter School, Innovations Public Charter School, and a concerned individual supported this measure with amendments. The Hawaii Government Employees Association supported the intent of this bill. The Governor's Office, Charter School Administrative Office (CSAO), Voyager Public Charter School, and a concerned individual supported the intent of this measure with amendments.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Requiring that the per pupil allocation to charter schools shall be based on figures reflected in the most recently enacted DOE budget instead of the "most recently published global total of all enacted DOE budget appropriations subtracted from the supplemental requirements;"

(2) Prohibiting deductions from the per pupil allocation without the written approval of the executive director of CSAO;

(3) Continuing to require the Legislature to appropriate funds to charter schools based upon the budget request;

(4) Allowing the Legislature to appropriate additional funds to charter schools for workers' compensation;

(5) Relieving DOE of its responsibilities to charter schools as they relate to federal funds;

(6) Allowing the executive director of CSAO to appoint a designee to serve as the lead chairperson and facilitator of the Task Force;

(7) Increasing the membership of the Task Force to 16 members, to include the Department of Human Resources Development and the Department of Budget and Finance;

(8) Appropriating $75,000 to begin supporting the operations of the Task Force; and

(9) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes that a worthy suggestion has been made to include a student representative on the Task Force, and the Chair of your Committee would like to work with CSAO to determine how this student representative would be selected.

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. 1136, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1136, H.D. 2, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

		____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Chair