Report Title:

New Century Charter Schools; Granting of Charters; LRB Study

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

171

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

requesting the Legislative Reference Bureau to study the issuing of charters to operate new century charter schools.

 

 

WHEREAS, shortly after the law authorizing the establishment of new century charter schools (formerly known as student centered schools) took effect, there were complaints from charter schools about inadequate amount of funds being allocated by the Department of Education for their support and the Department's resistance to the charter school movement; and

WHEREAS, shortly after the law authorizing the establishment of up to twenty-five new century charter schools took effect, there were complaints from the Department of Education about the inadequate amount of funds being appropriated by the Legislature for the support of these additional charter schools; and

WHEREAS, since their inception, new century charter schools have been alternately praised as a meaningful departure from traditional pedagogics and "business as usual", and vilified as a drain on other schools' operating budgets and the equivalent of an underfunded legislative mandate; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education, which has been characterized as being stingy, obstructionist, and unsupportive of the charter school movement, has itself complained about the burden that twenty-three additional charter schools will create for the rest of the public school system; and

WHEREAS, criticism directed at the Board of Education's decision to require new century charter schools to comply with health and safety requirements—whether deserved or not—underscores the degree of distrust and animosity that exists between some charter school applicants and the Board; and

WHEREAS, dissatisfaction with the new century charter school law, the Board of Education, the Department of Education, and the Legislature suggests that the funding and regulation of charter schools may need to be changed in order to better support charter schools and the rest of the public school system; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the Senate concurring, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to study the issuing of charters to operate new century charter schools; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to survey the twenty-five largest school districts in the United States or selected national charter school organizations, or both, to determine how other school districts issue charters to operate charter schools; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to identify barriers that obstruct or impede the issuance of charters to operate charter schools, and that serve as disincentives to reforming public education and improving student learning; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor, Department of Education, Department of Budget and Finance, Department of the Attorney General, Department of Health, and the University of Hawaii College of Education, are requested to assist the Legislative Reference Bureau in studying the issuance of charters to operate new century charter schools; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to submit its findings and recommendations to the Legislature not less than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, Auditor, Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, Director of Finance, Attorney General, Director of Health, Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, President of the University of Hawaii, and Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Education.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________