Kamehameha Schools' Admissions Controversy Amid Legal Challenges

Sat Oct 18 2025 16:31:26 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Kamehameha Schools faces legal threats against its admissions policy favoring Native Hawaiians, as students and supporters rally to defend its tradition.

Kamehameha Schools in Hawaii is under scrutiny as a campaign seeks to challenge its admissions policy, which prioritizes Native Hawaiian applicants. The school, founded on the will of a Hawaiian princess, aims to provide educational opportunities to those of Hawaiian ancestry. With over 15 billion dollars in endowment, the school's supporters, including alumni and local leaders, argue that the admissions policy is essential to address historical injustices. Critics, however, claim it constitutes racial discrimination, calling for legal reforms against race-based admissions.

HONOLULU (AP) — After water polo practice at her school atop a hill overlooking Honolulu Harbor, Kapua Ong marvels at the sunset.

“I do feel proud of myself for getting in because not everyone gets accepted,” said Kapua, 14, a freshman at Kamehameha Schools, a competitive private school with affordable tuition that gives preference to Native Hawaiians. “I’m just, like, grateful for being able to have those opportunities.”

Kapua was just a baby when her parents set the stage for her acceptance at the school by adding details of her Native Hawaiian ancestry to a genealogy database. As an incoming seventh grader, she also took an admissions test and highlighted her kung fu skills and fluency in Hawaiian language.

Kamehameha Schools gives admissions preference to the Indigenous people of Hawaii, with a caveat: “to the extent permitted by law.”

A campaign is underway to test the policy’s legality and stop Kamehameha from favoring Hawaiians, part of a movement to expand the legal definition of racial discrimination in education. Conservative activists have been emboldened by a Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in college admissions and by the Trump administration’s war against diversity, equity, and inclusion. Now, they’re targeting scholarships, academic programs, and admissions policies tied directly or indirectly to race.

Students for Fair Admissions, led by Edward Blum, a leading opponent of affirmative action, set up a website vowing to challenge Kamehameha’s admissions policy in court. “It is essentially impossible for a non-Native Hawaiian student to be admitted to Kamehameha,” the site states.

Alumni, parents, and local leaders are urging the private school system, with an endowment valued at more than $15 billion, to fight to defend the policy. “I’m hoping they hire a good lawyer, build a good case,” said Andria Tupola, a 1998 graduate and member of the Honolulu City Council. She believes the school helped her build a stronger connection to Hawaiian culture.

Attending Kamehameha can be life-changing. The Native Hawaiian community struggles with higher rates of poverty and incarceration, meaning educational disadvantages. Admission to Kamehameha offers a chance for quality private school education with boundless opportunities, first-class facilities, and Hawaiian cultural values. The sprawling Honolulu campus boasts top amenities, including an Olympic-sized pool, buffet lunches, and athlete laundry service.

Kamehameha Schools was founded by the will of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the great-granddaughter of King Kamehameha I. Her will directed the establishment of schools giving preference to Native Hawaiians. Last year, more than 5,400 students enrolled across three Kamehameha campuses on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.

With annual admissions applications exceeding available spaces by as much as 17 to 1, there exists an understanding among Hawaii residents that only students with Hawaiian blood qualify for admission. Many view the policy as a necessary remedy against disparities stemming from U.S. colonization and the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893.

In light of this, Hawaii residents like Senator Brenton Awa reject the campaign against the school as racist, emphasizing the importance of preserving Kamehameha’s legacy. With grassroots support and a deep cultural attachment to the education the school provides, Kamehameha Schools continues to navigate a complex legal landscape while advocating for its founding mission.