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OHA approves $50,000 reallocation for Kuiika Loro conference after questions about budget and matching funds
Summary
Trustees approved a $50,000 reallocation to support the Kuiika Loro Conference (student presentations and related logistics). Trustees questioned whether the amount was sufficient and discussed a proposed increase to $67,000; administration said the organizer would provide a $66,000 match from reserves and operations. The roll call recorded seven yes votes for the action as presented.
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees voted Feb. 19 to reallocate $50,000 within the adopted budget to support the Kuiika Loro Conference, a multi‑day student showcase involving Hawaiian‑focused charter schools scheduled for March 11–13 on Kauai.
Trustees pressed administrators and the conference lead for details before the vote. Questions focused on whether $50,000 would cover the action item’s three specified uses — interisland transportation for students, ground transportation across the conference site, and food for students — and whether leftover funds would revert to the trust. The administration described three budget categories the organizer identified: $40,000 for travel (airfare and a van rental), $25,000 for food, and $2,000 for ground transportation, for a subtotal of $67,000. Trustees asked how the organizer’s match would be funded and whether it would deplete a single charter school’s resources.
One trustee proposed amending the action to increase OHA’s allocation from $50,000 to $67,000 to cover the three categories fully. Another trustee urged fiduciary caution, saying the board had already approved $50,000 and additional funds required verification. Administration later stated the organizer’s additional $66,000 would come from its reserves and operations funding. With the event approaching, trustees balanced the need to expedite payments against verifying additional data.
The board took a roll call and recorded seven yes votes; the motion as presented (the $50,000 reallocation) passed. Administration is responsible for processing the funds and for documenting how the allocation and any matching funds are used; trustees asked that any underutilized funds be accounted for and potentially returned to OHA if not used for the specified purposes.
