STAND. COM. REP. NO. 729

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 244

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 244, 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 revise and update the laws regarding charter schools and the State Public Charter School Commission (Commission).

     More specifically, this measure, among other things:

(1)  Authorizes charter schools to carry over up to five per cent of most appropriations at the close of a fiscal year;

(2)  Requires charter schools to complete annual independent financial audits;

(3)  Requires the Commission to develop procedures regarding criminal history record checks;

(4)  Specifies enrollment requirements;

(5)  Authorizes the Commission to make facilities funding requests to the Legislature; and

(6)  Requires Commission members to disclose specified charter school relationships to the commission.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Board of Education, the Kualapu'u School Public Conversion Charter, the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science Public Charter School, the Hawaii Technology Academy, the Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network, Ho'okako'o Corporation, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that this measure promotes the goals of Act 130, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, to establish a solid governance structure for Hawaii's charter school system, by establishing clear lines of authority and accountability that will foster improved student outcomes.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the percentage of an appropriation that a charter school may carry over at the close of a fiscal year to an unspecified amount;

(2)  Requiring the Commission to submit its facilities funding request to the Director of Finance, rather than to the Legislature; and

(3)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity 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. 244, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 244, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair