STAND. COM. REP. NO.  843-14

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1745

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1745, H.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 law governing public charter schools by, among other things:

 

(1)  Authorizing the State Public Charter School Commission to assess fees on non-state entities and individuals to help cover its operating costs;

 

(2)  Requiring that a charter applicant comply with pre-opening criteria set by the charter school authorizer before becoming an entity of the State, by entering into and executing a charter contract to open a school;

 

(3)  Providing that an approved charter applicant that fails to satisfactorily meet the pre-opening criteria and enter into a charter contract or withdraws its application will be required to reapply and have its charter application approved by a charter school authorizer;

 

(4)  Specifying that legislatively appropriated funding for the State Public Charter School Commission be independent of funding for charter schools;

 

(5)  Allowing charter school authorizers to make and execute contracts with respect to the Public Charter Schools Law;

 

(6)  Amending annual reporting requirements for charter school authorizers and the Board of Education;

 

(7)  Amending requirements for service on a governing board, for the conduct of meetings by a governing board, and for notice of meetings by a governing board;

 

(8)  Repealing the authorization for the formation of a conversion charter school by an existing Hawaiian language immersion program;

 

(9)  Providing for the reconstitution of governing boards of charter schools under exigent circumstances; 

 

(10) Allowing charter school authorizers to direct a governing board and charter school to take appropriate action to immediately address serious health and safety issues that may exist at a charter school; and

 

(11) Making various technical and conforming amendments to the Public Charter Schools Law.

 

     The State Public Charter School Commission, Hookākoo Corporation, Kualapuu School Public Conversion Charter, and the Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network supported this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance, Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School, SEEQS, and an individual commented on this measure.

 

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion; and

 

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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 H.B. No. 1745, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1745, H.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair