HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

38

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting THE board OF EDUCATION TO create policies allowing CHARTER SCHOOLS TO USE VACANT CLASSROOMS and schools THAT WILL be closed.

 

 

 


WHEREAS, the Board of Education has the power to formulate statewide educational policy pursuant to section 302A-1101, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

 

WHEREAS, Act 14, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, required the Department of Education to submit annual reports identifying unused classrooms that would be suitable for conversion into early learning facilities; and

 

WHEREAS, as stated in a December 2009 report by the Department, eighty vacant classrooms have been identified as being available; and

 

WHEREAS, these classrooms are located in various public elementary and middle schools on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai, including Aliiolani School, Kalihi Kai School, Wahiawa Middle School, Waianae Intermediate School, Kailua Intermediate School, Kapaa Middle School, Haiku School, and Keaau Middle School; and

 

WHEREAS, the report also indicates that it would cost approximately $7,204,000 to convert the eighty classrooms into early learning facilities; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii Administrative Rules, Title 8, Chapter 38, provides conditions, procedures, and guidelines for the Department with respect to any efforts to consolidate schools; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department has established task forces to analyze and research school consolidations on Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu, and has announced future plans to analyze and research school consolidations in five different areas on Oahu; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Board voted on May 1, 2009, to consolidate Wailupe Valley School into Aina Haina School; and

 

     WHEREAS, the facilities formerly used by Wailupe Valley School remain unused today; and

 

     WHEREAS, schools that are closed due to consolidation are at risk of being removed from the Department's authority; and

 

WHEREAS, there is an increased demand for charter school education but a lack of facilities:  there were over 2,800 students on waitlists who were unable to enroll in charter schools for the 2008-2009 school year due to a lack of capacity in existing facilities, according to the Charter School Administrative Office; and

 

WHEREAS, some charter schools do not have conventional classrooms and must use tents, shipping containers, trailers, and other makeshift structures as classrooms; and

 

WHEREAS, the need for charter school facilities is as important as the need for early learning facilities; and

 

WHEREAS, although some of the eighty vacant classrooms may not be located in areas where early learning facilities are in demand, they may be appropriate locations for charter schools; and

 

WHEREAS, the cost of converting vacant classrooms into charter school classrooms is likely to be less than the cost of converting them into early learning facilities; now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the Senate concurring, that the Board is requested to develop policies to allot a portion of the existing eighty vacant classrooms for use by charter schools; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board is requested to develop policies that allow public schools that are closed to remain as facilities available for use by charter schools or for other educational purposes; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests a list of vacant classrooms and schools that have recently been closed or are to be closed to be provided to the Twenty-fifth Legislature before its adjournment on April 29, 2010; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board submit a report summarizing the aforementioned policies to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2011; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Education, and Executive Director of the Charter School Administrative Office.

 

 

 

Report Title: 

Vacant Classrooms; Closed Schools; Charter School Facilities