HCR78.DOC

WHEREAS, charter schools in Hawaii are public schools that are established to implement innovative models of community-based public education; and

WHEREAS, there is a concern regarding the parity of federal funding supporting public charter schools, direct distribution of formula-based funding to public charter schools, and the effects on funding for public charter schools due to overlapping relationships of the Board of Education and local education agencies; and

WHEREAS, the 2010 Charter School Equity Study concluded that:

(1) Equity was not achieved with $547,000,000 in federal and state budget program ID (EDN 150) Comprehensive Student Support Services, funding; and

(2) Inconsistencies in access to services and grant notification were identified; and

WHEREAS, because of the limited time available and the complexity of the issues discussed, the Charter Schools Funding Task Force focused its attention on the issue of the funding for public charter school facilities; and

WHEREAS, the Charter Schools Funding Task Force was unable to address other issues related to public charter school access to federal funding including special education services funding for public charter schools; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that issues involving federal funding and access to funds for public charter schools should be identified and addressed; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, the Senate concurring, that the State Public Charter School Commission is requested to establish and convene a Public Charter Schools Equitable Funding Task Force to study and identify possible issues and obstacles for public charter schools regarding receipt of federal funding and access to services and grant notification; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the following individuals or their designees are requested to convene as members of a Public Charter Schools Equitable Federal Funding Task Force:

(1) Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education;

(2) Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Education;

(3) Director of Finance;

(4) Chairperson of the Board of Education;

(5) Chairperson of the State Public Charter School Commission;

(6) Chief Financial Officer of the State Public Charter School Commission;

(7) Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs;

(8) Superintendent of the Department of Education;

(9) Director of the Federal Compliance and Project Management Office of the Department of Education;

(10) Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Education;

(11) Executive Director of the Hawai'i Public Charter School Network;

(12) Chief Executive Officer of Kanu o ka Aina Learning Ohana, who is requested to serve as a member; and

(13) The Chief Executive Officer of Ho'okako'o Corporation, who is requested to serve as a member; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to determine a funding formula or equitable process, or both, to be used to ensure parity of federal funding for public charter schools in the State, including conversion charter schools; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force consider the following factors in making its determination:

(1) Detailed information on all existing federal funding sources through the Department of Education and other agencies that impact education in the State;

(2) All federal allocations and their Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance references and any other relevant correspondence between the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance and the Department of Education, including any noncompliance documentation;

(3) Any discrepancies, and the reasons therefor, in calculations of per pupil allocations for non-charter public schools and public charter schools, including conversion charter schools, by various agencies;

(4) All previous legislative task force reports and studies regarding public charter school funding; and

(5) National comparisons of federal funding disbursement methods and formulas, and service formulas for distribution, for the purposes of determining appropriate statutory changes and amendments to serve public charter school students; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Public Charter School Commission is requested to provide the necessary support staff for the Charter Schools Equitable Federal Funding Task Force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that consideration of this measure is not intended to hinder or impede the enactment of legislation addressing issues relating to public charter school funding during the Regular Session of 2013 or 2014, or any interim special session that may be convened; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Public Charter Schools Equitable Federal Funding Task Force is requested to submit an initial report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2014, and a final report no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2015; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Education; the Chairperson of the State Public Charter School Commission; the Senate President; the Director of Finance; the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education and Ways and Means, respectively; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the Chairperson of the Committee on Education and Finance, respectively, of the House of Representatives; the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; the Chief Executive Officer of Kamehameha Schools; the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network; the Chief Executive Officer of Kanu o ka Aina Learning Ohana; and the Chief Executive Officer of Hookakoo Corporation.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Public Charter Schools Equitable Funding Task Force

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	78
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013
STATE OF HAWAII