Best Public Schools in Waimea, HI

Summary:

The city of Waimea, Hawaii is home to 3 schools serving grades K-12, including 1 high school, 1 middle school, and 1 alternative school. These schools vary in their academic performance, student demographics, and other key metrics.

Niihau High & Elementary School, an alternative school, stands out with an exceptional 100% four-year graduation rate and a relatively low chronic absenteeism rate of 8.3%. In contrast, Waimea High School and Waimea Canyon Middle School struggle with low proficiency rates in core subjects and high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22% to 25%.

The schools also differ in their spending per student, with Niihau High & Elementary School spending the most at $29,065 per student, followed by Waimea High School at $17,813 and Waimea Canyon Middle School at $15,564. These differences in funding do not necessarily translate to better academic outcomes, as the school with the highest student-teacher ratio, Niihau High & Elementary School, has the best graduation rate. Overall, the schools in Waimea, Hawaii present a complex picture, with factors beyond just test scores and funding contributing to their performance.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				HSA Science (2025)	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 Science All Grades	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
Niihau High & Elementary School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	c/o Waimea High School	Waimea	96796	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 338-6800	13	1	13.0	69.2%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)					$29,065	$779	$28,286
Waimea Canyon Middle School	Public	6-8	9555 Huakai Rd	Waimea	96796	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 338-6830	467	35	13.3	54.4%	16 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	94 (20.1%)	120 (25.7%)	1 (0.2%)	121 (25.9%)	114 (24.4%)	12.6	66^th of 84 public middle schools	21.4%		12.4	73^rd of 89 public middle schools	18.0%	7	20.0		34.0	23.0	$15,564	$1,552	$14,012
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

Cities Near Waimea

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Kekaha	2.72 mi	3	50^th
Eleele	6.59 mi	1	21^st
Kalaheo	9.9 mi	1	11^th
Koloa	12.24 mi	2	6^th
Lihue	17.28 mi	5	29^th

See the top HI Hawaii cities

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.