HI HR14

Requests the Board of Education and State Public Charter School Commission to submit a report on increasing access to stable, suitable, and affordable facilities for public charter schools by twenty days prior to the 2027 Regular Session.

Hawaii charter school enrollment exceeded 1,300 students in 2024-2025, with many schools forced to operate in tents, old offices, or temporary structures due to facility shortages.

Despite existing mandates requiring biennial surveys of unused state facilities suitable for charter schools, the Department of Accounting and General Services and Department of Education have not identified any such facilities.

The report must assess why no unused facilities have been identified, propose policy changes to connect charter schools with underutilized state facilities, and identify low-enrollment public schools that could share space with charter schools.

The report must also evaluate untapped federal funds for charter school facilities and assess financing options such as tax-exempt bonds, credit enhancement programs, and revolving loan funds.