Report Title:

New Century Charter Schools; Funding

 

Description:

Requires the allocation to charter schools to be based on total department appropriation and projected per pupil allocation for current fiscal year. Requires the allocation to conversion charter schools to be based on previous year's allocation and annual changes. (SB2036 HD1)

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2036

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to education.

 

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

SECTION 1. Section 302A-1185, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) New century charter schools shall receive an allocation of state general funds based upon the operational and educational funding requirements of the schools; provided that:

(1) Beginning in fiscal year [1999-2000,] 2002-2003, and every year thereafter, the auditor shall determine the appropriate allocation based on the total department [general fund] appropriation for EDN 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 and [per pupil expenditure] projected per pupil allocation for the [previous] current fiscal year; [provided that the per pupil allocation to any new century charter school shall not exceed the department’s average per pupil expenditure based upon the inclusion of similar cost items, in the previous fiscal year; and provided further that in setting the allocation, the auditor shall explicitly consider the advice of the superintendent and representatives of local school boards and indicate in the final determination the manner in which that advice was accommodated;]

(2) Small schools with fewer than one hundred twenty students may be given a state subsidy or small school allotment, as determined by the department, to augment the per pupil allocation given; provided that if additional federal grant moneys are received, the auditor shall determine the appropriate portion of the federal grant moneys to be used to offset the small school allotment; provided further that the federal grant moneys shall not include federal impact aid;

(3) The department may provide a limited start-up and planning grant formulated by the auditor to a charter school upon the issuance of its charter[;]. The department shall provide transitional funding to a conversion charter school for its first fiscal year of operation as a charter, based on the department's allocation to the school for the fiscal year prior to conversion;

(4) The auditor shall take into consideration any changes to the department's budget made by the legislature or the governor and any applicable collective bargaining negotiated amounts;

(5) The allocation for self-contained special education students and for other special education students shall be adjusted appropriately to reflect the additional expenses incurred for students in these programs; [provided that any increment to the per pupil allocation made in this paragraph shall not exceed the increment available to all other public schools;] and

(6) [The auditor shall develop a methodology for allocating funds that can be applied to alternative forms of public schools, including but not limited to new century charter schools.] The auditor shall develop a methodology for allocating funds for conversion charter schools, by basing the allocation for each newly-converted school on the EDN 100, 200, and upon written agreement between the conversion charter school's local school board and the department, specified sections of EDN 150, 300, 400, and 500 budgets the school received in the year prior to conversion, taking into account annual changes that may be made by the legislature or governor or applicable collective bargaining amounts."

SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2002.