STAND. COM. REP. NO. 248-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2578

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2578 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt prekindergarten-only public charter schools from certain statutory provisions affecting charter schools relating to funding and finance, the use of the weighted student formula, athletics, enrollment, computer science courses and content, and enrollment in industry-credential programs.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Early Learning and State Public Charter School Commission.

Your Committee finds that the State Public Charter School Commission approved the first prekindergarten-only public charter school, PACT Parkway Villages Preschool, at the Commission's January 2024 general business meeting. Your Committee further finds that exempting prekindergarten-only public charter schools from the statutory provisions affecting public charter schools relating to funding and finance, the use of the weighted student formula, athletics, enrollment, computer science courses and content, and enrollment in industry-credential programs is necessary to prevent subjecting prekindergarten-only public charter schools to requirements that are inapplicable to them by virtue of being prekindergarten only and not serving other grade levels.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000.

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. 2578, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2578, 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