Didn’t Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop leave an enduring legacy? Let’s explore The Kamehameha Schools. This school stands as a testament to her vision. The Kamehameha Schools is a private school system in Hawaiʻi. It was established by the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate. This was under the terms of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop’s will. She was a formal member of the House of Kamehameha.
Originally, The Kamehameha Schools was established in 1887. It began as an all-boys school for native Hawaiian children. The school shared grounds with the Bishop Museum. Later, the museum took over two school halls when the school moved. The girls’ school opened in 1894. The Kamehameha Schools became coeducational in 1965.
The Kapālama campus opened in 1931. It spans 600 acres. The Maui and Hawaiʻi campuses opened in 1996 and 2001, respectively. Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop’s bequest aimed to educate children of Hawaiian descent. The school teaches a college-prep education in English. It enhances this with Hawaiian culture, language, and practices. This imparts the historical and practical value of continuing Hawaiian traditions. The Kamehameha Schools operates 31 preschools statewide. It also has three grade K-12 campuses. These are in Kapālama, Oʻahu; Pukalani, Maui; and Keaʻau, Hawaiʻi.
The Kamehameha Schools’ admissions policy prefers applicants with Native Hawaiian ancestry. Since 1965, it has excluded all but two non-Hawaiians from being admitted. A lawsuit challenged this policy. The Kamehameha Schools settled, paying the plaintiff $7 million.
In the 2011–12 school year, enrollment totaled 5,398 students. This was across three main campuses. Additionally, 1,317 children attended preschools. The Kamehameha Schools also supported public and charter schools. They served an estimated 46,923 Hawaiians in 2011.
The mission is clear. The Kamehameha Schools fulfills Pauahi’s desire. It creates educational opportunities in perpetuity. This improves the capability and well-being of people of Hawaiian ancestry.
Bernice Pauahi Bishop directed in her will to create The Kamehameha Schools. She experienced the decline of her Hawaiian people. Education was key to their survival. She left 375,000 acres of ancestral land. She entrusted her trustees to use this gift to educate her people.
After Bishop’s death in 1884, her husband Charles Reed Bishop carried out her will. The original Kamehameha School for Boys opened in 1887. The girls’ school opened nearby in 1894. By 1955, all three schools had moved to the Kapālama Heights campus. The schools became co-ed in 1965. In 1996, the school opened a campus on Maui. This was followed by a campus on Hawaiʻi in 2001.
The main campus occupies 600 acres on Kapālama Heights in Honolulu. It serves many students including boarding students from the Neighbor Islands. The campus has numerous buildings and extensive athletic facilities.
The Kamehameha Schools’ endowment is substantial. As of 2022, it totaled $15.1 billion. Bishop’s original bequest included 375,000 acres of land. More than 365,000 acres are still controlled by the estate. The Kamehameha Schools’ Land Assets Division manages nearly 360,000 acres.
Commercial properties operating on Kamehameha Schools land include shopping centers. They also include hotels. The Kamehameha Schools is committed to culturally appropriate stewardship of the land. Its goal is to build a thriving urban neighborhood. This neighborhood must support the Kamehameha Schools’ mission.
Today, The Kamehameha Schools continues to honor Princess Pauahi’s legacy. It provides educational opportunities for Native Hawaiian learners.