STAND. COM. REP. NO. 51

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.B. No. 197

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 197 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate monies for start-up grants for newly approved, pre-opening public charter schools.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Public Charter School Network, Kamalani Academy, and four individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association and IMUAlliance.

 

     Your Committee finds that some Department of Education schools are operating at or near-full capacity, and that overcrowding in schools is a serious issue throughout the State.  Public charter schools can be a crucial part of the solution to the problem of school overcrowding.  Your Committee further finds that the start-up costs associated with opening a charter school are significant, even after the charter school has been approved by the State Public Charter School Commission.  These start-up costs present a serious obstacle to opening charter schools to meet the needs of Hawaii's students.  Funding provided by this measure will help ease the cost of opening new charter schools in the State.

 

     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 S.B. No. 197 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair