STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2216-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.C.R. No. 203

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 203 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THIS BODY TO ESTABLISH A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE THE SUPPORT SYSTEMS AVAILABLE TO STATE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS AND DETERMINE WHETHER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CENTRALIZED PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL DISTRICT OR SIMILAR SERVICE COOPERATIVE WOULD PROVIDE IMPROVED SUPPORT TO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to urge the Legislature to establish a Public Charter School Working Group to examine the support systems available to state public charter schools and determine whether the establishment of a centralized public charter school district or similar service cooperative would provide improved support to public charter schools.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network. Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the State Public Charter School Commission.

Your Committee finds that public charter schools are an important component of the Hawaii's public education system, providing innovative, culturally grounded, and community‑based educational opportunities for diverse student populations. Your Committee further finds that public charter schools operate under a governance and support structure that differs from that of Department of Education schools. Your Committee notes that the establishment of a centralized administrative charter school district or a statewide service cooperative may provide a coordinated back-office administrative and operational support for public charter schools. Your Committee believes that a comprehensive examination of existing support systems available to public charter schools is needed to provide further insight in the need for establishing a new centralized administrative structure for public charter schools.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that certain members of the Public Charter School Working Group are requested to be invited by the Chairperson or members of the Working Group;

(2) Including a representative of HawaiiKidsCAN as a member of the Working Group, to be invited by the Chairperson or members of the Working Group;

(3) Adding the Executive Director of HawaiiKidsCAN as a recipient of certified copies of this measure; and

(4) 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 203, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 203, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair