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Kohala High School

Public Grades 9-12
31st
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 62 Hawaii High Schools
Better than 50% of Hawaii high schools
Summary

Kohala High School is a public high school located in Kapaau, Hawaii, serving 252 students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district, which is ranked 1 out of 1 in the state and rated 5 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger.

Kohala High School has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from 7th out of 63 schools in 2016-2017 to 39th out of 53 schools in 2022-2023. The school performs exceptionally well for Hispanic and Special Education students, ranking 2nd and 2nd out of Hawaii high schools, respectively, in 2023-2024. However, the school struggles with Asian student performance, ranking 48th out of 65 Hawaii high schools in the same year. The school's four-year graduation rate has been high, ranging from 86.0% to 92.6%, but it has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 35.0% to 38.9%.

Academically, Kohala High School performs stronger in English Language Arts (ELA) than in Mathematics, with 60.94% of all students proficient or better in ELA compared to only 13.85% in Mathematics in 2023-2024. The school's performance in Biology I, as measured by the HSA, is also relatively low, with only 21.13% of students proficient or better in the same year. By addressing these academic performance gaps and the high chronic absenteeism rate, the school can work to provide a more consistent and well-rounded educational experience for all students.

259
Students ?
12.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$22,548
Per pupil spending ?
56.4%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 54-3611 Akoni Pule Hwy
       Kapaau, HI  96755

(808) 889-7117

District: Hawaii Department of Education


Feeder schools for Kohala High School:

Elementary:    Kohala Elementary School
Middle:    Kohala Middle School
Racial breakdown:

Pacific Islander:
33.6%
Two or more races:
20.5%
Asian:
19.7%
more
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At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 21st percentile in 2016 → 50th in 2025
Strengths
✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 50th (2025) from a 21st-percentile low (2016)
✓Above the Hawaii median (50th percentile)
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school33%
31st of 62
Hawaii public high schools ?
Top 50%▲ up 29 pts since 2016
From bottom 21% (2016) to top 50% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Hawaii High Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
25th of 42High Schools in the Hawaii Department of Education
1st 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202534.731 of 6250.0%★★★☆☆
202454.324 of 6764.2%★★★☆☆
202332.339 of 5326.4%★☆☆☆☆
202229.538 of 5226.9%★☆☆☆☆
202143.529 of 4839.6%★★☆☆☆
201956.125 of 5251.9%★★★☆☆
201868.913 of 5375.5%★★★★☆
201765.97 of 6388.9%★★★★★
201629.342 of 5320.8%★☆☆☆☆
201356.025 of 5655.4%★★★☆☆
201261.121 of 5863.8%★★★☆☆
201129.644 of 5621.4%★☆☆☆☆
201066.418 of 5667.9%★★★★☆
200914.251 of 557.3%☆☆☆☆☆
200828.034 of 3912.8%★☆☆☆☆
200746.435 of 6041.7%★★☆☆☆
200649.828 of 5650.0%★★★☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202437.448 of 6526.2%★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202437.127 of 5954.2%★★★☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202496.22 of 5296.2%★★★★★

Pacific Islander

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202465.012 of 6180.3%★★★★☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202492.72 of 6797.0%★★★★★

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202552.014 of 5172.5%★★★★☆
202468.88 of 6487.5%★★★★☆
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)
Special Education (2024)97th percentile+33 vs school
Hispanic (2024)96th percentile+32 vs school
Pacific Islander (2024)80th percentile+16 vs school
White (2025)73rd percentile+23 vs school
English Language Learner (2024)54th percentile-10 vs school
Asian (2024)26th percentile-38 vs school
By subject vs Hawaii (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts46%
Biology I39%
Mathematics13%

★
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Frequently Asked Questions about Kohala High School

Students at Kohala High School are 34% Pacific Islander, 20% Two or more races, 20% Asian, 14% Hispanic, 12% White.

In the 2024-25 school year, 259 students attended Kohala High School.

Kohala High School ranks 31st of 62 Hawaii high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Kohala High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Kohala Elementary School
Middle : Kohala Middle School


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Schools in Kapaau, 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.




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