Charter School Omnibus Bill Becomes Law

Aimed at clarifying State law regarding charter schools, the omnibus bill [SB2719 CD1] became state law on July 11, 2006.

Now known as Act 298, the charter school law is now contained in a separate section of the law, HRS 302B.

Other changes in the law include:

• clarifying the role and responsibilities of the charter school authorizer, the CSAO, and local school boards
• reafirming that civil service employees retain their status when a school converts to charter, and
• spelling out the minimum and maximum non-profit contribution to a conversion charter

The governor allowed the bill to become law without her signature. In a letter to the legislature she stated "While well intentioned, Senate Bill 2719 falls short of implementing significant changes for charter schools." She called apon the legislature to pass legislation that "further empowers, expands, and supports the charter school system."

READ MORE> Governor's Message Number 856