STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2849

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 108

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 108 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF A TASK FORCE TO ESTABLISH A CONSISTENT FUNDING FORMULA, PROCESS, OR BOTH, BY WHICH EQUITABLE FUNDING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS IS DETERMINED,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the convening of a task force to establish a consistent funding formula, process, or both, by which equitable funding to charter schools is determined.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one state agency, one private organization, and two individuals.  Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by one state agency and one private organization.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that charter schools should receive an amount of funding that is equivalent to that of public non-charter schools.  There is a lack of consensus in determining the per-pupil allocation for charter schools.  By convening a task force comprising the key players in charter school funding, this measure would be a major step toward the development of a funding formula or process to effect fair and consistent funding for Hawaii's charter schools.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding the Executive Director of the Hawaii Charter Schools Network, or the Executive Director's designee, and a representative of the Charter School Review Panel to the list of members requested to participate in the Charter Schools Funding Task Force; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 108, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 108, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair