Kohala Middle School

Kohala Middle School is a public middle school located in Kapaau, Hawaii, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 165 students. The school is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district, which is ranked 1 out of 1 in the state and rated 5 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

While Kohala Middle School has some areas of concern, such as high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 26.0% to 32.9% in recent years, the school also faces challenges with academic performance. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 36% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, 23% in Mathematics, and 29% in Science, all of which are significantly below the state averages. The school's performance also varies across different student subgroups, with higher rankings for African American and Pacific Islander students, but lower rankings for Asian, Hispanic, and White students, as well as for English Language Learners and Special Education students.

Interestingly, a nearby public charter school, Waimea Middle - PCCS, appears to have stronger academic performance, with higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. However, Waimea Middle - PCCS also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a potentially more economically disadvantaged student population. Additionally, Kohala Middle School has a relatively high spending per student at $18,267 for the 2018-2019 school year, which is higher than the $10,376 per student at Waimea Middle - PCCS, but this higher spending does not seem to be translating into better academic outcomes.