HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	901
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that public charter schools and their authorizers play a vital role in Hawaii's public education system.

The purpose of this Act is to authorize public charter schools to appeal directly to the board of education on matters that materially affect the school's operation, governance, or funding.

SECTION 2. Section 302D-15, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§302D-15 Appeals; charter applications, renewals, or revocations. (a) The board shall have the power to decide appeals of decisions by an authorizer to deny the approval of a charter application, deny renewal of a charter contract, or revoke a charter school's charter contract. An appeal shall be filed with the board within twenty-one calendar days of the receipt of the notification of denial or revocation. Only a party whose charter application has been denied, whose charter contract renewal has been denied, or whose charter contract has been revoked may initiate an appeal under this section for cause. The board shall review an appeal and issue a final decision within sixty calendar days of the filing of the appeal.

(b) Any public charter school shall be entitled to initiate an administrative appeal directly to the board on matters regarding adverse action taken by a charter school authorizer or any decision within the jurisdiction of the board that affects the school's operation, governance, or funding; provided that a public charter school shall not be entitled to appeal to the board on matters regarding negative performance reviews, or non-renewal decisions except in cases where the authorizer alleges procedural errors, statutory violations, or lack of compliance with contractual obligations related to the non-renewal or revocation decision.

[(b)] (c) The board shall serve as the final arbitrator of appeals authorized by [subsection] subsections (a)[.] and (b).

[(c)] (d) [A] Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), a party shall not be entitled to a hearing before the board under this section until it has exhausted all available administrative remedies.

[(d)] (e) The board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to implement this section."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.

Report Title:

Charter Schools; BOE; Appeals

Description:

Authorizes public charters schools to appeal directly to the Board of Education on matters regarding the schools' operations, governance, or funding, with certain exceptions. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.