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Kauai High School

Q: Is Kauai High School a good school?

Kauai High School ranks 36 th of 62 Hawaii high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

36^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 62 Hawaii High Schools

Better than 42% of Hawaii high schools

Summary

Kauai High School is a public high school located in Lihue, Hawaii, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,036 students. The school is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district, which is ranked 1 out of 1 in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Kauai High School has shown a strong four-year graduation rate, reaching 92.0% in the 2024-2025 school year, which is higher than the state average. However, the school has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate of 28.0%, which is higher than the nearby Waimea High School (22.0%) and Kapaa High School (39.0%). Kauai High School's test scores in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are generally on par with or slightly below the state averages, with 52% of students proficient or better in ELA and 19% proficient or better in Mathematics.

Interestingly, Kauai High School's statewide ranking has fluctuated significantly over the past 10 years, ranging from 16th to 47th out of Hawaii's high schools, suggesting that the school's performance may be influenced by various factors that change over time. Additionally, the school's spending per student of $15,149 in the 2018-2019 school year is lower than the nearby Waimea High School ($17,813) and Kapaa High School ($16,461), which may be a factor in the school's performance. Overall, Kauai High School appears to be a relatively strong performing school within the Hawaii public school system, but there is room for improvement, particularly in addressing the high chronic absenteeism rate and exploring ways to enhance academic performance.

1,016

Students ?

14.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,149

Per pupil spending ?

40.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3577 Lala Rd
Lihue, HI 96766

(808) 274-3160

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Feeder schools for Kauai High School:

Elementary:	Elsie H Wilcox Elementary School
	Kalaheo Elementary School
	King Kaumualii Elementary School
	Koloa Elementary School
Middle:	Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

27.9%

Two or more races:

25.2%

Hispanic:

19.7%

See top rated Hawaii high schools

Compare Kauai High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 8th percentile in 2015 → 42nd in 2025

Strengths

✓92% graduate within 4 years

✓Ranking is trending up — up 34 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

36^th of 62

Hawaii public high schools ?

Bottom 42%▲ up 34 pts since 2015

From bottom 8% (2015) to bottom 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Hawaii High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

28^th of 42High Schools in the Hawaii Department of Education

1^st of 1Hawaii Department of Education among Hawaii districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	27.3	36 of 62	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.2	33 of 67	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.8	35 of 53	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.3	34 of 52	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	69.3	16 of 48	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.6	17 of 52	67.3%	★★★★☆
2018	45.6	30 of 53	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	40.4	22 of 63	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.4	24 of 53	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	10.6	47 of 51	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	70.3	15 of 56	73.2%	★★★★☆
2012	64.7	20 of 58	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2011	67.6	17 of 56	69.6%	★★★★☆
2010	49.7	29 of 56	48.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	62.1	18 of 55	67.3%	★★★★☆
2008	52.2	19 of 39	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2007	63.3	22 of 60	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.2	20 of 56	64.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	68.9	14 of 55	74.5%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	32.0	25 of 41	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	37 of 65	43.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	17.1	25 of 33	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.4	43 of 59	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	72.8	13 of 52	75.0%	★★★★☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	21.9	24 of 32	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.6	42 of 61	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	32.7	22 of 38	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.4	50 of 67	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	15.1	42 of 51	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.8	41 of 64	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2024)75th percentile+24 vs school

African American (2024)75th percentile+24 vs school

Special Education (2025)42nd percentile~ school

Asian (2025)39th percentile-3 vs school

Pacific Islander (2025)25th percentile-17 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)24th percentile-18 vs school

White (2025)18th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Hawaii (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts52%

Biology I23%

Mathematics19%

★

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Schools Near Kauai High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				HSA Biology I (2025)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	HSA Biology I All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kauai High School	Public	9-12	3577 Lala Rd	Lihue	96766	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 274-3160	1,016	71	14.4	40.4%	78 (7.7%)	2 (0.2%)	200 (19.7%)	283 (27.9%)	1 (0.1%)	196 (19.3%)	256 (25.2%)	27.3	36^th of 62 public high schools	41.9%		46.2	33^rd of 67 public high schools	50.7%	3	23.0	52.0	19.0	$15,149	$1,109	$14,040
Kapaa High School	Public	9-12	4695 Mailihuna Rd	Kapaa	96746	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 821-4400	1,005	58	17.3	31.6%	179 (17.8%)	4 (0.4%)	192 (19.1%)	131 (13.0%)	2 (0.2%)	235 (23.4%)	262 (26.1%)	25.8	38^th of 62 public high schools	38.7%		33.1	39^th of 67 public high schools	41.8%	1	27.0	46.0	20.0	$16,461	$1,310	$15,151
Waimea High School	Public	9-12	9707 Tsuchiya Rd	Waimea	96796	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 338-6800	711	48	14.8	51.3%	53 (7.5%)	2 (0.3%)	127 (17.9%)	212 (29.8%)	1 (0.1%)	209 (29.4%)	107 (15.0%)	19.5	41^st of 62 public high schools	33.9%		31.3	42^nd of 67 public high schools	37.3%	1	16.0	49.0	13.0	$17,813	$1,667	$16,146

Frequently Asked Questions about Kauai High School

What schools feed into Kauai High School?

Kauai High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Elsie H Wilcox Elementary School
Elementary : Kalaheo Elementary School
Elementary : King Kaumualii Elementary School
Elementary : Koloa Elementary School
Middle : Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Is Kauai High School a good school?

Kauai High School ranks 36^th of 62 Hawaii high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Kauai High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,016 students attended Kauai High School.

What district is Kauai High School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

What is the racial makeup of Kauai High School?

Students at Kauai High School are 28% Asian, 25% Two or more races, 20% Hispanic, 19% Pacific Islander, 8% White.

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Schools in Lihue, HI

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Hawaii State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.