OHA approves $50,000 reallocation for Kuiika Loro conference after questions about budget and matching funds

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.