STAND. COM. REP. NO.  272

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 1686

      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. 1686 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to establish a funding mechanism to ensure that charter schools receive fair and equitable funding.

     The Department of Education testified in support of this bill.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, and two concerned individuals supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance (B&F), Charter School Administrative Office (CSAO), Hawaii Charter Schools Network, and several concerned individuals opposed this bill.  Kualapuu School, Kamaile Academy, Hookakoo Corporation, and a member of the Charter School Review Panel (Panel) offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by replacing its contents with the following provisions:

     (1)  Requiring the executive director of CSAO to prepare a separate capital improvement projects budget for charter school facilities, which shall be submitted to the Panel for approval and, upon approval, submitting the capital improvement projects budget for charter school facilities directly to B&F; and

     (2)  Requiring the executive director of CSAO to include a report of all means of financing in its preparation of the charter school budget.

     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. 1686, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1686, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ROY TAKUMI, Chair