The U.S. Supreme Court could issue a decision as early as next Monday that would either leave Kamehameha Schools elated over the end of the legal challenge to its Hawaiians-first admission policy or set the stage for the most significant high-court ruling involving Native Hawaiians in years.

The Supreme Court will be deciding whether to take the Kamehameha case. A decision not to take the case would let stand an earlier ruling in favor of Kamehameha Schools and its 120-year-old admissions policy. A decision to hear the case would lead to a Supreme Court ruling by summer 2008 on the legality of the admissions policy that favors Native Hawaiians.