Through its community and outreach programs, Kamehameha Schools reached more than 35,000 Native Hawaiian children and families in its most recent fiscal year, up 27 percent from the previous year, Kamehameha officials said yesterday.

Of that, only 5,400 were students who attended one of the school's three campuses. The other 30,000 participated in a wide variety of programs ranging from classes for expectant parents to college scholarships funded by Kamehameha Schools.

Kamehameha Schools increased its spending on education to $250 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30, up $29 million or 13 percent from the previous year.

The trust, established by the will of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, spends about 2 to 6 percent of its endowment on education programs each year. The endowment was worth $7.66 billion on June 30, 2006. The value for the most recent fiscal year will be released in January, but trust officials estimate it was about $9 billion.

Dee Jay Mailer, chief executive officer of Kamehameha Schools, said the trust is reaching out to Native Hawaiians who are unable to attend school at its main campuses.

"There are so many Native Hawaiians who are not on our campuses who we are seeking to serve," Mailer said. "It's a huge number."

There are an estimated 65,500 Native Hawaiian students enrolled in the public or private school system, and only 5,400 are in Kamehameha Schools.

To expand its reach, Mailer said, the trust has established relationships with dozens of community organizations to provide educational services on behalf of Kamehameha Schools.

The trust contributed $78 million to more than 60 community organizations statewide — from programs for expectant parents to early education to literacy programs to college scholarships, Mailer said.

"The reality is that the majority of our people live and learn in their communities and not necessarily on our campuses," Mailer said.

One of the largest partnerships is with the state Department of Education, she said.

Kamehameha Schools helps fund some 21 summer school programs in public schools across the Islands. Kamehameha also supports literacy programs, professional development for teachers, Hawaiian cultural education programs and scholarships.

Earlier this year, Kamehameha provided 14 Hawaiian-focused charter schools with $4.8 million in funding.

Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools are on their own when it comes to paying for facilities. Not only do charter schools receive less money than regular public schools, but a significant portion of what they get is spent on facilities, charter school officials have noted.

Enrollment in Hawaiian-focused charter schools has been estimated at about 2,300 students.

In addition to more than $16 million spent last year on college scholarships, Kamehameha also increased the number of preschool scholarships by 37 percent.

Some 850 children received a total of $4.4 million in early-childhood education scholarships, up from $3 million a year before.

Christopher Pating, vice president of strategic planning and implementation at Kamehameha Schools, said one of the school's goals has been to reach more children from birth to age 8. Last year, Kamehameha Schools served about 8,800 children from birth to age 8 through preschools, preschool scholarships and other educational partnerships.

Kamehameha has 31 pre-schools statewide, but with an estimated 32,000 keiki in Hawai'i between birth and age 4, Pating said, Kamehameha has been supporting other early-childhood education efforts across the state in hopes of reaching more native children.

"The biggest theme over the past couple of years has been reaching out and collaborating with our community partners in a much different way than we have in the past," he said.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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