STAND. COM. REP. NO.3185

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2014

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2014, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NEW CENTURY CONVERSION CHARTER SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow the board of directors of a Hawaii nonprofit organization, as a local school board, to manage and operate an existing Department of Education school as a new century conversion charter school.

In addition, this measure:

(1) Requires the nonprofit organization to make a minimum annual contribution of $1 per pupil toward the operation of a new century conversion charter school for every $4 per pupil allocated by the Department of Education for the operation of the new century conversion charter school;

(2) Requires the detailed implementation plan for a new century conversion charter school to be approved by a majority of the votes cast by existing administrative, support, and teaching personnel, and parents, rather than sixty per cent of the existing administrative, support, and teaching personnel, and parents;

(3) Gives the board of directors of the nonprofit organization, as the governing body for the new century conversion charter school that it operates and manages, the same protections that are afforded to the state Board of Education;

(4) Allows a nonprofit organization to allocate federal and state funds among two or more of the new century conversion charter schools that it operates and manages to the extent permitted by law;

(5) Gives the State of Hawaii first right, except as provided in the detailed implementation plan, to all the assets and facilities of a new century conversion charter school if the new century conversion charter school dissolves or is denied continuation;

(6) Requires a nonprofit organization that seeks to manage or operate a new century conversion charter school to have experience in the management and operation of public or private schools, or, to the extent necessary, agree to obtain appropriate services from another entity or entities possessing this experience; and

(7) Limits the number of new century conversion charter schools that may be formed by either a nonprofit corporation or an existing Department of Education school, or both, to twenty-five.

Indirectly, this measure will create slots for two additional new century charter schools (as opposed to new century "conversion" charter schools) formed as either start-up schools or schools-within-schools. In addition, this measure will create slots for twenty-three additional new century "conversion" charter schools formed from existing Department of Education schools. This increase in available slots is the result of Waialae Elementary School and Lanikai Elementary School being considered new century "conversion" charter schools rather than new century charter schools.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making a technical nonsubstantive change for purposes of clarity and consistency.

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 H.B. No. 2014, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2014, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair