STAND. COM. REP. NO. 754

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 603

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 603, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to improve the public charter school system by clarifying the functions, duties, and roles of the charter school review panel and the Board of Education in the administration and operations of charter schools in the State.

 

     Comments in support of this measure were submitted by the Hawaii Charter Schools Network, West Hawai‘i Explorations Academy, Innovations Public Charter School, Halau Ku Mana Public Charter School, students and alumni of charter schools, and private citizens.  The University of Hawaii College of Education and the Ho‘okako‘o Corporation supported the intent of this measure.

 

     Comments in opposition to this measure were received from the Board of Education.  The Kamehameha Schools offered comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds the charter schools provide choices for parents and students within the public school system while maintaining a system of accountability for student achievement.  Charter schools encourage resourcefulness and develop innovative approaches to educational governance, financing, curricula, and teaching strategies.

 

     This measure strengthens the charter schools system by:

 

     (1)  Allowing a member of a public employees' collective bargaining unit to serve on the charter school review panel (Panel);

 

     (2)  Providing that the Board of Education shall appoint members of the Panel; and providing that the Panel oversees and monitors charter schools, review, approve, or deny significant amendments to detailed implementation plans, review self-evaluation reports, and place charter schools on probation or revoke their charters;

 

     (3)  Allowing local school boards to enter into long-term lease agreements;

 

     (4)  Providing that the Panel shall be accountable to the charter schools and the general public, and increasing the number of members on the Panel;

 

     (5)  Shifting funding for the Panel from the Board of Education to the charter school administrative office;

 

     (6)  Authorizing the establishment of agency-sponsored charter schools and conversion charter schools;

 

     (7)  Providing that the Executive Director shall be hired and may be terminated by the Panel, rather than the Board of Education;

 

     (8)  Increasing the per-pupil allocations for charter schools and including an allocation for start-up charter schools to offset facility, infrastructure, and repair and maintenance costs; and

 

     (9)  Providing an unspecified appropriation.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing changes that authorize the establishment of agency-sponsored charter schools and conversion charter schools;

 

     (2)  Retaining the Board of Education's authority to establish the application process for charter schools;

 

     (3)  Changing the effective date of the appropriation section to reflect the start of the fiscal year; and

 

     (4)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity and style.

 

     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 S.B. No. 603, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 603, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair