STAND. COM. REP. NO.  113

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 11

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 11 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to make clarifying amendments to the laws affecting the charter schools by:

     (1)  Authorizing the Board of Education (BOE) to remove any member of the Charter School Review Panel (Panel) for cause;

     (2)  Including in the definition of a charter school's organizational viability, compliance with BOE policies and Department of Education directives; and

     (3)  Removing the requirement that BOE adopt rules for placing a charter school on probation and for revoking a charter.

     BOE testified in support of this bill.  The Charter School Administrative Office supported this measure with amendments.  The Hawaii Charter Schools Network opposed this bill.  Kamehameha Schools and a member of the Panel offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Removing as part of the definition of a charter school's organizational viability, compliance with BOE policies and Department of Education directives; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style, including deleting language in the purpose section.

     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. 11, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 11, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

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

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair