Explainer | What is behind the legal rift between HKIS and US-based church?

A US-based church has recently dropped a bombshell by suing a top Hong Kong international school it co-founded for allegedly breaching an operating agreement, threatening to evict the institution from its campuses and set up a new one.

The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) from the United States has also accused the operator of Hong Kong International School (HKIS) of turning the not-for-profit institution into a business, an allegation that the school has denied.

The Post dives into the school’s background and its relationship with LCMS to offer more insight into the unfolding legal drama.

1. What is Hong Kong International School?

The school provides an American-style education to students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12, with the primary section based in Repulse Bay and the secondary section in Tai Tam.

It currently has more than 3,000 students from more than 45 countries and territories.

In an interview with the Post, members of the school’s senior management said that the institution primarily taught pupils holding foreign passports, while allowing up to 30 per cent of its students to be Hongkongers as part of its agreement with the government.

HKIS has been considered one of the top international schools in Hong Kong thanks to its students’ performance on the United States Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Testing (ACT) and Advanced Placement (AP) tests.

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