STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2792

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2516

       S.D. 2

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2516, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the State Public Charter School Commission to support its facilities pilot project.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Na Wai Ola Public Charter School Governing Board, Hawaii Educational Council, and eleven individuals.  The Hawaii Educational Policy Center submitted written comments on the measure.

     Your Committee finds that the State Public Charter School Commission is currently implementing a pilot project for the allocation of funds to various charter schools for small-scale facilities projects, based in part, on the need and performance of the charter schools.  Your Committee further finds that additional funding is needed to implement this pilot project and address the challenges of inadequate funding for facilities costs.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the appropriation from $1,200,000 to an unspecified amount;

(2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(3)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 2516, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2516, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair