Kamehameha Schools was founded by the will of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the great-granddaughter of Kamehameha the Great.
Applications for the 2021-2022 school year are available online beginning Aug. 15, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2020. Select the apply button below to start your application.
Residency verification is required to apply by campus. Please review the residency grid and out-of-state section below.
Kindergarten applicants must have a date of birth between Aug. 1, 2015, through July 31, 2016. To complete the application, submit your child‘s original birth certificate to the Ho‘oulu Verification Services (HVS) to validate your child’s age eligibility.
To be considered for Hawaiian preference, applicants ancestry must be verified by the Ho‘oulu Verification Services (HVS).
To complete the application, the ‘ohana form needs to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
To complete the application, a teacher’s reference report needs to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
Residency verification is required to apply by campus. Please review the residency grid and out-of-state section below.
To be considered for Hawaiian preference, applicants ancestry must be verified by the Ho‘oulu Verification Services (HVS).
To complete the application, your child’s last year’s final report card needs to be submitted by Sept. 30, 2020.
To complete the application, the ‘ohana form needs to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
To complete the application, a teacher’s reference report needs to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
To complete the application, an administrative reference report needs to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
An optional letter of recommendation may be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
To complete the application, your child’s first quarter of this year’s report card needs to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
Residency verification is required to apply by campus. Please review the residency grid and out-of-state section below.
To be considered for Hawaiian preference, applicants ancestry must be verified by the Ho‘oulu Verification Services (HVS).
To complete the application, your child‘s last year’s final report card needs to be submitted by Sept. 30, 2020.
To complete the application, the ‘ohana form needs to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
To complete the application, a teacher’s reference report needs to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
To complete the application, an administrative reference report needs to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
An optional letter of recommendation may be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
To complete the application, your child’s first quarter of this year’s report card needs to be submitted by Dec. 15, 2020.
Applications are available online beginning on Aug. 15. The application deadline for the 2021-2022 school year is Sept. 30, 2020.
Applications are submitted online through the TADS portal. If you require assistance to submit an online application, please contact our Admissions Office, the Applicant Services Center at Kawaiaha‘o Plaza in downtown Honolulu, or at one of Kamehameha Schools’ Regional Resource Centers.
| Grade applying to | Age or grade level requirement |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Born between Aug. 1, 2015, and July 31, 2016* |
| Grade 6 | Currently in Grade 5 |
| Grade 9 | Currently in Grade 8 |
*Kindergarten applicants will need to submit their original birth certificate to the Ho‘oulu Verification Services to validate their age. Until the applicant’s birth certificate is submitted, their application for admission to Kamehameha Schools is considered incomplete.
| Island applying from | KS region name | Grade applying to | Eligible for this campus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maui | Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i Covers these ZIP codes: 96708, 96729, 96732, 96733, 96742, 96748, 96753, 96757, 96761, 96763, 96767, 96768, 96770, 96779, 96784, 96788, 96790, 96793 |
Kindergarten | Maui |
| Grade 6 | Maui | ||
| Grade 9 | Maui | ||
Hāna, Maui Covers ZIP code 96713 |
Kindergarten | Maui | |
| Grade 6 | Maui | ||
| Grade 7 | Kapālama | ||
| Grade 9 | Maui OR Kapālama | ||
| Grades 10-11 | Kapālama | ||
| Out of state | Out of state | Grade 6 | Hawai‘i OR Maui |
| Grade 9 | Hawai‘i, Kapālama OR Maui |
Applications: Kamehameha’s K-12 program gives priority to students who reside in the state of Hawaiʻi. However, out-of-state students may apply and be considered for admission to the following grades: 6, 7, 9, 10 and 11. Kamehameha cannot accept applications to elementary at any campus from out-of-state students. No exceptions will be made.
Interviews for Grades 6-9 applicants: Only applicants to grades 6 and 9 are interviewed.
Admissions priority is given to applicants residing in Hawai‘i with their parents or legal guardians, all of whom are current and permanent residents of the State of Hawai‘i in accordance with KS policy.
Kamehameha observes Geographic Regional Allocations to ensure equitable geographic distribution of spaces. Therefore, upon acceptance, parents must verify the physical home address listed on their child’s application.
In addition, if the applicant’s biological parents are not currently married, you will be required to submit all necessary court documents (divorce decrees, custody agreements, legal guardianship, etc.) to determine parental authority.
Parental authority establishes who has the legal authority to make decisions and to sign school documents on behalf of this child prior to your child’s enrollment at Kamehameha Schools.
NOTE: By policy, all applicants to Kamehameha Schools must be U.S. citizens. Even if an applicant is of native Hawaiian ancestry, if they are not also a U.S. citizen Kamehameha Schools cannot accept or process their application.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), children with a diagnosed, life-long disability that requires the utilization of accommodations during the testing and/or observation or interview phases of the application process may receive the required accommodation in these phases of Kamehameha Schools’ application process.
Validation of the required accommodation is needed. Parents requesting a testing and/or observation or interview accommodation for their child should include in-depth documentation of their child’s diagnosed disability that includes, but is not limited to:
Before applying your child for admission to Kamehameha Schools (KS), please be sure that any outstanding debts you have with KS are cleared. An outstanding debt may have been incurred if you have another child who is currently, or was previously, enrolled at KS.
An outstanding debt may delay application processing for your child. Applicants whose families have outstanding debts may not be offered admission to KS until the debt has been cleared.
If you have an outstanding debt, please call our Student Billing Office at 842-8309 or toll-free at 1-800-842-4682 x28309.
Admission to Kamehameha is selective and, due to the large number of applicants, very competitive. Applicants who meet the Sept. 30, 2020, deadline may be scheduled for standardized testing.
Due to the changing conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the test and interview dates/times are subject to change. The health and safety of our applicant families and staff is our highest priority. If changes are made to testing/interview availability, we will notify applicants by email.
Kamehameha uses the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress), which is a secured test administered using an iPad. More information: MAP test information
Once testing is completed, scores are evaluated and applicants are divided by campus, region and gender, and then ranked by their test scores. Based on the strength of their test scores relative to their region and gender grouping, a small number of students from each region/gender group are asked to participate in the second phase of testing: A classroom observation.
The classroom observations are used to evaluate an applicant’s non-cognitive skills, social skills and general school readiness.
Parents of students invited to participate in the classroom observation will also be asked to complete a questionnaire and submit the ‘ohana form and a Teacher Reference Report (completed by their child’s current preschool teacher).
Kamehameha Schools may schedule all applicants for testing based upon information submitted in the application. Kamehameha uses the ERB CTP 5 (Comprehensive Testing Program) which is a nationally standardized achievement test that helps assess what a child has already learned. Applicants are tested in two areas: general math and reading comprehension. See more information about the ERB CTP 5: CTP test information | CTP FAQS
In addition to testing, applicants are scheduled for a personal interview with a Kamehameha teacher or administrator.
Applicants are required to submit their final report card from the previous school year, and their first quarter report card for the current school year (once they are received, typically in October). Parents/legal guardians of students who are home schooled should call our office if they have any questions regarding report card submittal requirements.
Applicants also submit two Teacher Reference Reports. Acceptable TRRs will be completed by the applicant’s previous year and/or current year self-contained classroom teacher(s) in the core subjects. Applicants also submit Administrative Reference Report from their current principal, vice principal or school counselor.
Absolutely! There is so much more to Kamehameha Schools than our three campuses. Kamehameha actually offers many innovative educational programs. Offerings include a variety of summer programs; distance learning; community based family education; mentoring programs and more. Kamehameha 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.
Phone:
(808) 534-8080 or 1-800-842-IMUA Press 2 (Neighbor Island/Continental U.S.)
Email:
ksrc@ksbe.edu
Schedule help:
bookings.ksbe.edu/ksrc
