"...to erect and maintain in the Hawaiian Islands two
schools, each for boarding and day scholars, one for
boys and one for girls, to be known as, and called the
Kamehameha Schools..."

Article 13
Will of Bernice Pauahi Bishop

Mission Statement and Guidelines

To accomplish the goal, Kamehameha Schools will:

• Promote the educational development and growth of all people at Kamehameha Schools;
• Foster Protestant religious worship, morals and spiritual values;
• Prudently and actively manage assets to meet our educational goal;
• Conduct ourselves with a clear commitment to po`okela, excellence;
• Encourage, cultivate and inspire students, graduates and staff to serve the Hawaiian community and the community at large;
• Preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture, traditions and values and,
• Instill throughout the organization Hawaiian ancestral values including:

  Pono	........................	To be moral and proper
  `Imi `ike	........................	To seek knowledge
  Laulima	........................	To work cooperatively
  Lokomaika`i	........................	To share
  Na`au Pono	........................	To possess a deep sense of justice
  Mälama	........................	To care for each other
  Ha`aha`a	........................	To be humble

Then and Now, Historical Perspective

The Kamehameha School for Boys first opened October 3, 1887 with 34 students. The three-year curriculum included language and composition, mathematics, business forms and accounting practices, drawing and design, geography, health, moral instruction, music and manual arts.

Seven years later, on December 19, 1894, the Kamehameha Schools for Girls began operating with 27 students. Ongoing registrations brought the total to 59 girls by the end of the school year. Course work for young women included household management, dietetics, cooking, sewing, millinery, nursing and typing. The girls were also expected to do their own laundry and cooking as part of their training.

Today, Kamehameha Schools, located on a 600 acre Kapälama campus, is the largest private school in the nation and provides a variety of educational opportunities. The campus programs are administered through the Kamehameha Elementary School and Kamehameha Secondary School.

Kamehameha Schools has more than 50 preschool classrooms at nearly 30 locations statewide. These preschools serve specific communities with regional boundaries for eligibility.

Some of the preschools are located on state Department of Education sites. There are no tuition costs at these preschools.

At the preschools entirely funded and operated by Kamehameha Schools, preference is given to children of Hawaiian descent. The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that this policy is non-discriminatory. A modest tuition is charged at these sites. Financial aid is available.

Kamehameha's policy on admissions is to refrain from discriminating against children on the basis of physical or mental disability to the extent required by law.

Who May Apply

• Children who turn four between January 1 and December 31 in the year following their application (birth certificates must be provided to verify age), and
  
• Children who reside with parents or legal guardians in the community that the preschool serves.

When to Apply

• Apply between September 1 and December 31 of the year the child turns three.

How Children are Selected

• Admission to all preschools is done by random computer selection (lottery).

Verification of Ancestry and Residency

• Students accepted at non-DOE Kamehameha preschool sites must verify their Hawaiian descent through original birth certificates of the child, Hawaiian parent(s) and Hawaiian grandparent(s).

  For more information about applying to Kamehameha preschools, applicants on O`ahu may call 842-8800; Neighbor Island applicants may call 1-800-842-4682 (IMUA) ext. 8800.

The Kamehameha Elementary School system, serving children in grades K-6, includes 3 more campuses. An elementary school is currently operating on the Kapälama Heights campus and a school on Maui and the Island of Hawai`i opened on September 5, 1996. Two more schools are planned for West Hawai`i and O`ahu.

The KES curriculum is designed to prepare children for a challenging college preparatory education at Kamahemeha Secondary School. The curriculum emphasizes development of the whole child through academics, social skills, the arts, culture and physical education. Special activities foster cultural awareness and promote social, emotional and spiritual development.

Kamehameha Secondary School (KSS) [ High School 9-12 ] [ Middle School 7-8]

The Kamehameha Secondary School at Kapalama Heights is a college preparatory school for Hawaiian students. The student body numbers approximately 2,500 in grades 7 through 12. In addition to classrooms and laboratories, the Secondary School campus includes two learning centers, a television studio, a performing arts complex. athletic facilities and a chapel. Kamehameha also maintains a boarding program and dormitories for about 500 students.

Academic Program

The academic program at Kamehameha Secondary School is rigorous. Extensive offerings in the academic areas (e.g., English, science) as well as performing/visual arts and health and fitness, challenge students to think critically and to prepare for the future. In addition, an honors program with advanced placement courses in all major subject areas is offered to the academically talented students. Kamehameha also offers its students a wide range of extracurricular activities and special opportunities outside Hawai`i:

• The Student Exchange Program enables selected students to attend school for one year in places such as New Zealand and the Cook Islands.
• The Summer Talent Search Program gives students the chance to participate in special programs offered at Duke University in North Carolina and the Johns Hopkins program at Redlands University in California.
• Summer Enrichment Grants are awarded to students who wish to attend programs such as the University of Wisconsin's Pre-College Institute and Carleton College's Advanced Writing Seminar.

Scholarships

KS subsidizes about 94 percent of the cost of educating a student at Kamehameha and also awards financial aid to families who need additional help to meet tuition expenses. KS offers its graduates post-secondary scholarships based on financial need and merit scholarships funded by KS and other private sources.

Since the beginning of Kamehameha Schools, the cost of educating students has been shared by both parents and Kamehameha Schools. For school year 1996-97, Trustees have again decided to retain the present tuition, and meal structure without any price increases. Note that class dues, yearbooks, ASKS dues and ATP memebership are incorporated into the fee structure. Charges will be assessed for our off-campus pre-school sites. Parent's share of tuition, fees and meal charges amounts to 6.2% of total costs on average across all grade levels. The KS share, on the other hand, amounts to 93.8% of total costs on average.

Because educational costs are not uniform over grade levels, the tuition, fees and meal charges vary between Pre-kindergarten, Elementary, and Secondary students. For School year 1996-97, the cost sharing between parents and KS is summarized as follows:

This is the basic charge for classroom instruction.

Meals

This amount covers lunches for day students and all meals for boarding students during the regular school year. Meal fees are mandatory.

WITHDRAWALS OR EXPULSION

If a student withdraws or is expelled during the school year, your financial responsibility for tuition and meal charges will be prorated up to the last day your child attends school. Student fees will not be refunded, reduced or waived. Any refund or adjustments will be made within 60 days of such withdrawal or expulsion.

Student Performance

Over 90 percent of Kamehameha's graduates go on to institutions of higher learning, including such schools as Harvard, Stanford, Princeton and Columbia. Kamehameha graduates are among the ranks of doctors, engineers, business and government leaders and other professionals throughout the United States and the world.

The Kamehameha Schools, rich in history, has a strong tradition of excellence. It remains committed to providing a strong educational foundation for young Hawaiian men and women with the potential to achieve excellence and become the leaders of tomorrow.

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