CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 146

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2009

RE:    S.B. No. 496

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 496, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to help ensure the efficient and effective operation and administration of charter schools by:

     (1)  Clarifying that charter schools shall comply with Board of Education (BOE) and Department of Education directives made in their role as the state education agency, pursuant to a memorandum of agreement;

     (2)  Eliminating the per-pupil funding method, thus requiring charter schools to follow the same budgetary request process as other state agencies; and

     (3)  Making clarifying amendments.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the provisions related to directives and a memorandum of agreement;

     (2)  Restoring and expanding the per-pupil funding method;

     (3)  Requiring the charter school review panel to approve the charter schools budget;

     (4)  Requiring the charter school review panel to survey all charter school facilities prior to determining recommendations to allocate non-per-pupil facilities funds to charter schools with facilities needs;

     (5)  Specifying the duties of the Executive Director of the Charter School Administrative Office with regard to the preparation of the budget;

     (6)  Deleting proposed language related to a charter school's probationary status;

     (7)  Requiring the Charter School Review Panel to establish criteria and an approval process for the development and submission of a capital improvement projects budget for charter school facilities;

     (8)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2009;

     (9)  Amending the findings and purpose section to reflect the above changes; and

     (10) Making technical amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 496, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 496, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ ROY TAKUMI, Co-Chair	____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair
____________________________ MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Co-Chair	____________________________ SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair