STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2180

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3092

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 3092 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation to the Department of Education for charter schools.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and CARES.

Your Committee finds that charter schools across the State have experienced higher enrollment rates. Presently, the Department of Education has a statutory mandate to provide proportional funding to charter schools based on the respective school's student enrollment. However, higher enrollment of students in the charter school system for the 2023-2024 school year has created an additional need for resources to ensure continuity of educational programs and operations. This measure provides additional funding for charter schools to offer high quality educational experiences for Hawaii's charter school students.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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. 3092, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3092, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair