STAND. COM. REP. NO. 301

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1328

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1328 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the rental or lease of facilities to be considered by the Legislature when deciding upon an appropriation and bond authorization to the State Public Charter School Commission; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the State Public Charter School Commission to allocate to charter schools for infrastructure costs, lease or rent assistance, and repair and maintenance of network infrastructure.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Ke Kula ‘O Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u, Ke Kula ‘o Samuel M. Kamakau, Kanaeokana Kula Hawai‘i Network, ‘Aha Pūnana Leo, and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Board of Education.

Your Committee finds that facilities funding has been a long-standing issue for charter schools nationally and locally. Public charter schools receive inadequate funding to support student learning and that more funding for charter school facilities is needed.

Your Committee further finds that on March 11, 2019, the Charter School Facilities Funding Working Group issued its report providing a framework and process for the distribution of charter school facilities funding that prioritizes funding based on certain criteria. This measure will provide additional funding to the State Public Charter School Commission for public charter school facilities and base the disbursement of funds on the distribution methodology determined by the Charter School Facilities Funding Working Group report.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to June 30, 3000; and

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

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 H.B. No. 1328, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1328, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair