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A majority of a 15-judge appeals court panel upheld Kamehameha Schools’ admissions policy in Doe v. Kamehameha Schools on December 5, 2006. The panel majority ruled that Kamehameha Schools has a legal right to offer admissions preference to Native Hawaiian applicants as a way to remedy past harms and current imbalances suffered by the Indigenous people of Hawai‘i as a result of Western contact. The panel majority also found that Congress has recognized it has a special trust relationship with Native Hawaiians and in furtherance of that relationship, has enacted more than 85 statutes supporting programs designed to improve Hawaiian well-being.

The competitive nature of admission to Kamehameha Schools is due to the increasing numbers of children seeking enrollment. Each year the number of applications received exceeds the number of available spaces anywhere from a ratio of 3:1 to 17:1, depending on the campus and grade level.

At Kamehameha Schools we firmly believe that every child has potential and wish to acknowledge and affirm the strength of each applicant’s unique talents. The challenge is that Kamehameha Schools does not have a space on one of our campuses for every applicant. However, we are actively working to develop community programs to serve greater numbers of children and meet a broader variety of needs and interests. These programs are designed to assist many more children to develop their potential, cultivate their unique abilities, and achieve success.

Kamehameha Schools is committed to enroll a diverse student population that represents a variety of socio-economic backgrounds, islands and communities, ability levels, talents and life experiences. Kamehameha Schools looks for students who have already demonstrated that they have the motivation, attitude, character and work habits necessary to successfully graduate from Kamehameha Schools’.

Four-member faculty rating committees, composed of teachers and counselors, review all applications for a single grade level in each region. For example, all Windward applicants to grade seven are evaluated by the same committee. All committee members are current Kamehameha Schools’ faculty who work with children in the grade level to which your child is applying.

All admissions decisions are made by a consensus of the faculty rating committee that evaluated the applications of all students in a particular region and gender grouping. The Admissions Office facilitates the admissions process but does not select applicants for admission to Kamehameha Schools. Furthermore, the Admissions Office does not have the authority to reverse a committee decision, nor does that authority rest with the CEO or Trustees of Kamehameha Schools. Faculty Rating Committees are empowered to make all admission decisions. Any diversion from this process is considered tampering.

All faculty rating committee members must disclose any personal potential conflicts of interest prior to the review process. Faculty members with conflicts are excluded from participating. The rating process is conducted using strict protocols. Score calculations for applicants are run on our computer system to avoid human arithmetic errors. All selection meetings are facilitated by the Admissions Office and monitored by the Internal Auditor. Finally, every summer Kamehameha Schools’ Internal Auditor audits the records of the Admissions Office. The final audit report is shared with the CEO, Trustees and the external Court Master, who also reviews Kamehameha Schools annually.

Yes. Students in this category are sent notifications advising them that they are placed in a wait pool. These notifications need to be acknowledged and responded to, or the applicant will be withdrawn and not included in the wait pool process. The terms and length of wait pools vary by campus and grade level.

No, not all applicants who are orphans or indigents are enrolled. As directed by Bernice Pauahi Bishop’s will, Hawaiian orphans and Hawaiian children living in indigent circumstances do receive special consideration for admission. In order to be considered as an orphan or indigent applicant, additional paperwork and verification is required. Special consideration spaces are limited and, like all other applicants, they are tested and evaluated and must demonstrate their ability to be successful at Kamehameha Schools.

Absolutely! There is so much more to Kamehameha Schools than our three campuses! Kamehameha Schools actually offers many innovative educational programs. Offerings include a variety of summer programs, distance learning, community-based family education, mentoring programs and more. Kamehameha Schools also operates 30 preschools statewide, has formed partnerships with public charter schools, and offers post-high school financial aid for students.

Of particular interest to the parents of Pre-K-12 children is the Pauahi Keiki Scholars program, which offers need-based financial assistance to help children attend other qualifying non-KS preschools, and the Kīpona Scholarship program which offers need-based financial assistance to help children attending private K-12 schools other than Kamehameha Schools.