STAND. COM. REP. 2781

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 3148

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3148, 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 establish a noncontiguous host culture charter school district as a five-year pilot demonstration project that shall:

(1) Qualify as a local educational agency;

(2) Work collaboratively with, but not be supervised or controlled by, the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Education, and the Charter School Executive Director; and

(3) Be monitored by a nine-member host culture district council.

The host culture district council receives and responds to annual self-evaluation reports received from each host culture focused charter school. During the fourth year of the demonstration pilot project, the council is required to evaluate the effectiveness of the host culture focused charter approach and make recommendations whether the project should be modified, expanded, or terminated to the Legislature. The council is charged with administrative supervision of all host culture focused charter schools. The Attorney General is charged with legal representation of the host culture district council, the host culture charter school district, and the host culture focused charter schools.

The measure also establishes an additional noncontiguous charter school district five-year pilot demonstration project that may include existing charter schools located throughout the State. This noncontiguous charter school district is authorized to participate in tax-exempt bond programs and has rights, duties, and accountability requirements that are similar to those applicable to the noncontiguous host culture charter school district discussed above.

The bill also amends section 26-35.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to provide that members of the host culture district council are members of a state board who are entitled to immunity from or indemnification for civil liability and legal representation and defense in civil actions for damage, injury, or loss caused in the performance of the member's duties. Finally, the bill appropriates an unspecified amount of general revenues to establish the noncontiguous host culture charter school district and to hire necessary staff and council.

Your Committee finds that charter schools offer many new paths to learning, including rigorous traditional cultural programs, community and technological resources, and virtual learning systems. They also provide smaller-scale and more personalized learning environments for students. Your Committee believes the establishment of a noncontiguous host culture charter school district will strengthen currently existing host culture charter schools and provide opportunities for these schools to receive federal funding.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and uniformity.

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. 3148, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3148, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair