STAND. COM. REP. NO.  404-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1745

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1745 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)  Allowing the State Public Charter School Commission to assess fees to help cover its operating costs and to set initial fee amounts without following generally applicable rulemaking procedures upon compliance with alternate notice and hearing requirements;

     (2)  Requiring that a charter applicant comply with pre-opening criteria set by the 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 pursue a new application and approval process to execute a charter contract;

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

     (5)  Amending annual reporting requirements for authorizers and the Board of Education;

     (6)  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;

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

     (8)  Providing for the reconstitution of governing boards under exigent circumstances;

     (9)  Allowing authorizers to direct a governing board and charter school to take immediate appropriate action to address serious health and safety issues; and

     (10) Making various technical and conforming amendments.

The State Public Charter School Commission supported this measure.  The Hawaii Educational Policy Center opposed this measure.  The Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network and a concerned individual submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Specifying that the fees assessed by the State Public Charter School Commission apply to non-state entities and individuals;

     (2)  Allowing authorizers and governing boards to make and execute contracts;

     (3)  Further changing publication requirements for notices, agendas, and minutes of public meetings by a governing board;

     (4)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2014; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1745, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1745, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair