Kamehameha Schools spent 5.5 percent less on educational programs in the 2009 fiscal year than the year before, though the trust said it increased its reach to Native Hawaiian children by 16 percent compared to last year.

Of the $258 million the estate spent on educational programs, about $83 million was spent on community outreach programs to reach Native Hawaiian children not educated within the walls of one of Kamehameha's campuses.

The release of Kamehameha Schools' education spending figures comes just days after news that the estate's endowment fell by more than $2.2 billion. The trust has had to reduce its operational and capital spending by 10 percent during the past year, and its top executives have taken 5 percent pay cuts.

The data is being formally released today as the school celebrates Founder's Day, honoring Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, whose will created the trust.

Chris Pating, Kamehameha's vice president of strategic planning and implementation, said while the estate is not immune to the economic downturn, it remains on track to meet the goals in its Education Strategic Plan to increase its reach to Native Hawaiian students.

After several years of aggressive growth, Kamehameha entered a four-year evaluation phase to determine which of its programs are working and are having an effect on the learning of Hawaiian students. Spending was expected to level off while Kamehameha Schools conducts the evaluation phase of its plan, where programs are being measured for their effectiveness and substantiality .

"If there was ever a good time for an economic crisis to come, it was at this particular point, where we're in a leveling off phase. It's not a decrease in services. It's just making sure what we're doing works," Pating said.

Over the years, some within the Native Hawaiian community have criticized the trust for not doing enough for the education of all Hawaiian children, not just those who attend its campuses. Kamehameha officials have acknowledged that the trust has to do more to reach more Hawaiian keiki.

For the past several years, schools officials say, Kamehameha has partnered with dozens of community organizations, education providers and the public school system to benefit the learning of Native Hawaiian children across the state.

For instance, some 16,710 children — infants to age 8 — were served through the school's preschools, preschool scholarships, literacy instruction, and collaborations with private providers. The trust awarded more than $29 million in preschool and post-high scholarships.