STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2705

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2527

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2527, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Department of Education to identify unused public school facilities that may be appropriate for use by charter schools or early learning programs, such as the pre-plus program, or for any other purpose that the Board of Education deems appropriate.

     This measure would also require the Department of Education to consider making available the facilities of a public school that may be closed by the Department for use by charter schools or early learning programs; provided that the facilities may be used for any other purpose deemed appropriate by the Board of Education. 

     Written comments in support of this measure were submitted by the Department of Human Services and Kewalo Hawaiian Homestead Community Association.

     Your Committee finds that it is good practice, particularly in these difficult economic times, to require public school facilities that would otherwise be closed and unused to be used by early learning programs or charter schools or for other purposes deemed appropriate by the Board of Education.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that early learning programs include the pre-plus program and by making a technical nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of conformity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2527, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2527, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair