STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2058

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2797

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2797 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide funding for start-up grants to assist newly approved pre-opening charter schools and allow those schools to meet the often prohibitive start-up costs associated with opening a school.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network, Kamehameha Schools, and one individual.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from IMUAlliance.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

     Your Committee finds that certain Department of Education schools operate at full or near-full capacity, and struggle with severe overcrowding on campuses.  These conditions make it difficult for such schools to provide an effective learning environment for their students.  Newly approved pre-opening charter schools that meet the rigorous standards of the State Public Charter School Commission could help alleviate the overcrowding in certain non-charter public schools, but the start-up costs associated with opening a school are often prohibitively high.  Start-up grants would facilitate approved pre-opening schools absorb those high start-up costs and consequently benefit all of Hawaii's public school students.

     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 S.B. No. 2797 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair