STAND. COM. REP. NO.1252-02

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2036

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2036, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to amend the current formula for allocating funds to New Century Charter Schools (Charter Schools) by, among other things:

(1) Requiring that the allocation be based on the total Department of Education (DOE) appropriation for EDN 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 and the projected per-pupil allocation for the current fiscal year;

(2) Requiring DOE to provide transitional funding to a conversion charter school for its first fiscal year of operation as a charter, based on the school's allocation for the prior fiscal year;

(3) Deleting the requirement that the increment to the per-pupil allocation provided to a Charter School for special education students shall not exceed that provided to other public schools; and

(4) Requiring the Auditor to develop a methodology for allocating funds to conversion charter schools based on certain allocation criteria.

Voyager Public Charter School Local School Board and several individuals testified in support of the bill. Kamehameha Schools and several individuals supported the intent of the measure. The Hawaii Association of Charter Schools and Halau Ku Mana New Century Charter School opposed the bill. DOE and the Hawaii Government Employees Association submitted comments on the measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by deleting its contents and inserting provisions that:

(1) Reduce the number of Charter Schools that may be established from 25 to 23;

(2) Allow the Board of Education (BOE) to place a Charter School on probation for:

(A) Violating applicable state laws;

(B) Failing to adhere to applicable BOE policies; or

(C) Failing to have its students meet statewide student performance standards;

(D) Incurring a spending deficit; and

(E) Not remaining fiscally responsible in other ways.

(3) Allow BOE to require a Charter School which is on probation to submit a corrective action plan and take corrective measures, including adopting a repayment schedule if the Charter School has incurred a spending deficit; and

(4) Allow BOE to revoke a Charter School's charter if the school's corrective action plan is unsatisfactory or if the school fails to meet probationary requirements.

 

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2036, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2036, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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

 

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair