STAND. COM. REP. NO. 432

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1663

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1663 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a per pupil allocation funding mechanism based on the consolidated annual financial report plus known, quantifiable supplemental requirements to new century charter schools. This measure also appropriates funds for the per pupil allocations.

Testimony in favor of the measure was submitted by the Charter School Administrative Office, Kualapuu Elementary School, Waimea Middle School, Halau Ku Mana, Kamehameha Schools, and Hookakoo Corporation. The Department of Education and Governor submitted comments.

Your Committee finds discrepancies in the funding of new century charter schools. Inappropriate figures reported at the Department of Budget and Finance inadvertently reduced appropriations to the charter schools. As a result, charter schools did not receive funding for fringe benefits and increases in collective bargaining. This measure will allocate sufficient funding to charter schools comparable to regular public schools to provide all public students with equitable resources.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by requiring, rather than allowing, the Legislature to make additional quantifiable appropriations to the charter schools.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1663, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1663, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education and Military Affairs,

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair