Hong Kong parents, teachers voice support for HKIS amid legal dispute with US church

Parents and teachers at a top Hong Kong international school have expressed “unwavering” support for its operator, who is being sued by a US-based church that co-founded the institution for allegedly only serving the “rich”.

The Parent Faculty Organisation of Hong Kong International School (HKIS) also said on Sunday night that it was confident in the operator’s ability to ensure that students remained unaffected by the legal dispute.

“[We affirm] our unwavering support for our school and its leadership amidst the ongoing legal matter involving the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod [LCMS],” said the board of the organisation, which represents HKIS’ parents and teachers.

“As a parent organisation with a long history of supporting our school’s mission, we stand united with the school during this time and we reaffirm our belief in the strength, resilience and integrity of the HKIS community.”

Last week, LCMS sued the operator, Hong Kong International School Association Limited (HKISAL), for allegedly breaching an operating agreement while threatening to evict the institution from its campuses and set up a new one.

The church has accused HKISAL of turning the not-for-profit institution into a business, charging excessive tuition fees that exclude most members of the public and racking up a strong balance sheet with net assets of HK$2.8 billion (US$359 million).

Tuition fees at the school have been among the most expensive in the city, ranging from HK$247,800 to HK$286,300 annually across different stages of study, including capital levies.