STAND. COM. REP. NO. 323

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 814

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 814 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:

 

     (1)  Clarify the process for applicants to submit a letter of intent to apply to open and operate a charter school; and

 

     (2)  Provide for penalties for authorizers who fail to timely comply with the Board of Education's decisions.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Kulia Academy and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission and Maui Hui Malama.

 

     Your Committee finds that charter school processes for new school applicants, contract renewals, and contract negotiation are inconsistent, difficult to navigate, and lack transparency.  This measure will allow applicants to cure any deficiencies with their application rather than be automatically denied for nonsubstantive reasons and streamlines the charter school application process so that approval will be easier to obtain.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Incorporating changes recommended by the State Public Charter School Commission by removing language relating to the letter of intent process; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     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. 814, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 814, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair