Kamehameha Schools Admission Policy

[kimo55]

Re: Kamehameha Schools Admission Policy

But as a charitable organization, it is exempt from federal taxes. In that sense, U.S. taxpayers are subsidizing this multibillion-dollar organization that exercises a racial preference in its admissions, regardless of how we feel about the issue (i.e. that's millions of dollars the federal government doesn't collect from an organization that serves one ethnic group).

If Kamehameha lost its tax-exempt status because of that of racial preference, it would have a huge impact on its finances and, obviously, its far-reaching educational and community programs. It's understandable why the school, faced with such a threat, has reviewed its admissions policy in recent years.

It is a sad state of affairs; a school which has been in existence LOOONG before the fraudulent ways of the amerikaner federal government came along and declared it will govern that which has been running fine for sooooo long with out their help, Before amerika stole all that is Hawaiian... This fraudulent, pestilent system is dictating the direction and even the destiny of Kamehameha schools. Haoles once again, try to lay waste to another deeply ingrained important aspect of Hawaii.

and it is almost as lamentable: so many people buy into this fraudulent, bent mindset of amerikaner legalese, manipulation and wordplay to see to it this land, this culture is completely subjugated.

("tax exempt. racial preference. federal government isn't collecting their fair share of money from this private Hawaiian organization")
sick, sad, morally corrupt and pathetic....

[LikaNui]

Re: Kamehameha Schools Admission Policy

Haoles once again, try to lay waste to another deeply ingrained important aspect of Hawaii.

I've forgotten, so help me out here -- how many haoles were on the Bishop Estate Board a couple of years back in the Broken Trust situation? You know, the ones who were prosecuted, fired, disgraced, imprisoned, and all? How many haoles was that?

[kimo55]

Re: Kamehameha Schools Admission Policy

I've forgotten, so help me out here -- how many haoles were on the Bishop Estate Board a couple of years back in the Broken Trust situation? You know, the ones who were prosecuted, fired, disgraced, imprisoned, and all? How many haoles was that?

dunno about their racial origin... couldabeen mostly hapa...
could be a few were haole...

****On August 9, 1997,
newspaper article "Broken Trust" called for the removal of the trustees

December 13, 1999, all five of the Bishop Estate Trustees had either resigned or were permanently removed


http://www.lava.net/cslater/$6Billion.htm

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Kamehameha Schools Admission Policy

True, Kamehameha doesn't accept federal funds for its operations. But as a charitable organization, it is exempt from federal taxes. In that sense, U.S. taxpayers are subsidizing this multibillion-dollar organization that exercises a racial preference in its admissions, regardless of how we feel about the issue (i.e. that's millions of dollars the federal government doesn't collect from an organization that serves one ethnic group).

If Kamehameha lost its tax-exempt status because of that of racial preference, it would have a huge impact on its finances and, obviously, its far-reaching educational and community programs. It's understandable why the school, faced with such a threat, has reviewed its admissions policy in recent years.

Let me preface that I do understand the above quote from Jerome and that he does state a balance in his analysis so this remark is not against his integrity but to the analysis that KSBE is supported by tax dollars:

How in the world can the U.S. Taxpayer be subsidizing a tax-exempt organization like KSBE? They are not getting any federal dollars to support the operation of the school. That would be the same as saying that every taxpayer who chooses an exemption or deduction from their income taxes is being subsidized by the federal govenment making them welfare cases!

This school was founded on a trust ensuring the preservation of the Hawaiian culture and it's people thru education. It's not a way to shelter monies for self gain.

Regarding the tax exempt status, it is for that racial discrimination that KSBE dropped it's JROTC program two years ago. It was one of the most distinguished and decorated JROTC programs in Hawaii but the legacy of Pauahi had to continue and that meant dropping the JROTC program. The facts are that KSBE wanted to continue it's JROTC program by funding it on it's own but our federal government indicated that KSBE's JROTC participation regardless of funding sources was not possible because JROTC is part of the U.S. government which cannot discriminate.

As a tax-exempt charitable organization KSBE doesn't have to pay certain federal and state taxes. But it's officers and staff who do earn an income from KSBE do have to pay their fair share of income tax. So the arguement is that because KSBE pays no tax, the burden of taxation falls on the taxpayer. That's a bunch of bull because KSBE does support DOE funded public and charter schools that focus on Hawaiian curricullum, it pays for the tuition for qualified Hawaiian students to attend it's own campus' as well as the University of Hawaii thru scholarships.

Just because KSBE doesn't pay certain taxes doesn't mean they're not footing their share of government support. Without KSBE's financial support many of Hawaii's public schools in the rural areas would be hitting on the state and federal purses for a bigger budget. Without KSBE's campuses on three islands and it's many satellite preschools all over the state these children would have to attend public schools adding to the burden of the State's DOE annual budget which is already strained.

How many individuals out there can say they support our keiki like KSBE? Do you attend your child's PTSA or board meetings? Do you volunteer your time or donate your home mortgage tax exempt dollars to your favorite school so the keiki can have new books or adequate school supplies? Or do you just blow it on your next Vegas vacation?

What was the estimate to educate each child in the DOE school system? Multiply that by the total enrollment of KSBE students statewide and take that amount and tack that on the state's DOE budget and you can see just how much KSBE saves the taxpayer of having to ante up that extra amount.

But the biggest gift back to our beloved state of Hawaii is what KSBE's graduates give back to our communities. My wife got her bachelor's degree thru the scholarships of KSBE. She's working on her Master's thru Chaminade University funded mostly thru KSBE's scholarship program. With her degree she landed a job working for Headstart in Hilo as a Site manager. Her job is to help those Title 1 families (not just Hawaiian but all title one families) get the necessary support to help their children in education. She is giving back to impoverished communities in her job attained thru education dollars from KSBE. My oldest boy is a sophmore at the University of Hawaii/Manoa getting his teaching degree with scholarship monies thru KSBE so he can be a teacher and help our keiki as well. I'm proud of both of them and eternally thankful to KSBE for giving them an opportunity to advance their education and give back to our community.

Even though I don't have a drop of Hawaiian blood, my farm business is looking at ways to grow organic edible food crop by utilizing the ancient Hawaiian methods of crop growing. This will become the focus of a Hawaiian culture curicullum for a charter school here on the Big Island. This school will be grant writing to KSBE for support as well as my company because it will promote ancient Hawaiian agricultural techniques. These kinds of fundings help promote schools as well as our local economy thru preservation of the Hawaiian culture.

KSBE helps in so many ways yet is the least understood and targeted by many as greedy!

As for their admission policies, before it was a pure lottery where every Hawaiian had a chance to get in. However many Hawaiian's never utilized the immense educational support KSBE was offering them and many of them either dropped out or never attained a higher status than a high school diploma and for that their investment in these children were wasted while other Hawaiian children who did want to excel never got the chance because of the lottery system. By taking the best and brightest Hawaiian keiki, KSBE was able to utilize their resources better and instill a greater pride in their students because now these kids wanted to be there and proved it by their high academic marks.

And it's not true that only rich Hawaiian kids got it. The vast majority of KSBE's student body is almost 100% subsidized thru KSBE meaning many of those students pay very little or absolutely no tuition at all for attending. You have to financially qualify for this subsidy and the fact that most of the kids are subsidized is proof that not only rich kids get in.

By educating the best and brightest and then encouraging those who graduate to give back to their communities by subsidizing their college education, KSBE is utilizing their financial resources in a more prudent manner. Like I said before as a parent sending their kids to college on their nickle and having that kid goof around and eventuall drop out in their sophmore year, I would feel a bit miffed and frustrated that I spent thousands of dollars on a kid who could care less. I'd rather spend it on the kid who wants to learn and be thankful for the financial support from me. The lottery system didn't accomplish any of that. KSBE's new admission policy does and it's working just fine.

I've had friends who tried to get their kid into KSBE telling me how great the school is, bragging about it's campus. When their kid didn't get in suddenly the school is the devil himself! Whoa where's all that bragging now? Talk about sour grapes! And these are the same parents who never participated or volunteered in their kids school functions or went or became a board member of their kid's PTSA or SCBM or local school board.

These are the parents who never sat with their kids and read them a bedtime story or went to the parent teacher meetings. And they want the best for their kids now? Too late pal. The time was when the kid was in diapers to be supportive and it's not KSBE's fault if that kid didn't get accepted. You have to earn that right thru your efforts to get in now and it's the parents that are to be thanked for supporting their kids in their developmental stages of their lives.

As adults we may not have had the support from our parents when we were growing up, let's not make it our kids fault for their failure. We don't want to make the same mistakes our parents did so we have to put forth the effort to ensure our kid's success. KSBE honors those who make that effort by allowing their kids into their schools.

KSBE's admission policy is sound and fair. We must leave it alone to ensure that ultimately all Hawaiian's can benefit from Pauahi's legacy either thru enrollment or thru community service for it was the Hawaiians that got the raw deal from our own federal government. Tax exemption is a way the United States of America can partially redeem itself for the unjust actions it placed on the kingdom of Hawaii.

Sorry Jerome if I offended you, but this subject is very much dear to my heart as I've seen the good and the bad that KSBE has had to deal with and have participated in as well. KSBE does a lot for our state and doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Thank you for your statements regarding it's, "far reaching and educational programs" that is so true and unfortunately the least known of KSBE's support of this state. I have made it my mission to tell people in their face whenever they badmouth KSBE.

[jerome]

Re: Kamehameha Schools Admission Policy

Funny how my effort to explain what KS is up against suddenly turned personal. For the record, I support the schools' existing admissions policy as well as its overall mission and programs, from its three private campuses to its funding of college scholarships to its community outreach programs to its tremendous support of Hawaiian-focused charter schools. I would like to see all of those things remain intact. The fact is, the very real threat to all of these programs, as well as to all Hawaiian entitlements, does exist.

No offense taken to your post, Craig. But to respond to your question, the way taxpayers subsidize Kamehameha is the same way we subsidize ALL nonprofit organizations. Charities, schools, churches are exempt from most federal and state taxes. True, their employees pay income taxes like everybody else, but the organization does not pay taxes like other businesses. The financial records of most nonprofits, with the exceptions of religious organizations, are public record, precisely because we subsidize them. Some taxpayers (those who are trying to dismantle Hawaiian entitlements through several lawsuits) feel that they shouldn't have to subsidize programs that benefit only one race. Whether they have a case has been debated in federal court for several years now.

Kimo55: Unfortunately, the "fricken corrupt haole wants to own everything" argument won't get KS, or the Hawaiian movement, very far, especially in federal court. So I suggest people start coming up with more substantial arguments, hopefully ones that'll actually encourage support from Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians alike, rather than alienate them.

KS, for instance, has reiterated that the school was the will of Bernice Pauahi Bishop. OHA has argued that "Hawaiian" transcends racial classification, that it is actually a political group, one that was wronged by the United States in 1893 (heck, even the president was compelled to apologize a century later). Now those are some strong arguments.

And although you think it's "lamentable" that so many people buy into the "fraudulent, bent mindset of amerikaner legalese, manipulation and wordplay," face the facts: this is what KS and all Hawaiian entitlements are dealing with right now.

By the way, the "haole" argument doesn't get very far with me personally, either. I'm Filipino, born and raised in Hawaii.

[kimo55]

Re: Kamehameha Schools Admission Policy

And although you think it's "lamentable" that so many people buy into the "fraudulent, bent mindset of amerikaner legalese, manipulation and wordplay," face the facts: this is what KS and all Hawaiian entitlements are dealing with right now.

I am not avoiding or evading facts at all. It IS regretful and deporable.