Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Public Schools in Zip Code 96766

At a glance

Schools

3,286

Students

Top rankedKing Kaumualii Elementary School33^rd of 203 Hawaii elementary schools

▲

Biggest riser

Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School up 6 spots statewide this year

◉

Smallest classes

Kawaikini - NCPCS 9.8 students per teacher

See the top-ranked Hawaii schools →

Summary:

ZIP code 96766 covers Lihue on the island of Kauai, and it has five schools serving about 3,286 students in grades PK–12: two elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative school, all part of the Hawaii Department of Education. Kauai High School is the largest, with 1,016 students, followed by Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School (826), Elsie H Wilcox Elementary School (743), King Kaumualii Elementary School (524), and Kawaikini - NCPCS (177).

King Kaumualii Elementary School is the clear academic standout, with 65% of students proficient in English language arts, 66% in math, and 67% in science in 2025-2026. It also holds the highest rank percentile in the group (84th, with 4 stars) and the strongest resource profile, including the highest per-student spending ($17,347) and a student-teacher ratio of 12.4. Elsie H Wilcox Elementary School is close behind in ELA (63%) and math (61%) and has the lowest chronic absenteeism at 20.0%, but its science score dropped from 66% to 48%, and its rank percentile fell from 85th to 69th. Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School is steady and improving, gaining 4 points in both ELA (58%) and math (47%) and sitting at the 75th percentile.

Kauai High School shows the biggest proficiency challenge: 52% in ELA, 21% in math, and 19% in Biology I, with its rank percentile sliding from 51st to 42nd to 38th, though its graduation rate is a solid 92.0%. Kawaikini - NCPCS, the small alternative school, improved science from 16% to 42% and graduates 90.9% of students, but ELA (22%) and math (28%) remain low. Chronic absenteeism is 20% or higher at every school in the ZIP code.

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				HSA Science (2026)	HSA Biology I (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
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%)	25.4	40^th of 65 public high schools	38.5%		27.3	36^th of 62 public high schools	41.9%	4		19.0	52.0	21.0	$22,764	$2,012	$20,752
Elsie H Wilcox Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4319 Hardy St	Lihue	96766	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 274-3150	743	51	14.5	47.1%	28 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	146 (19.7%)	187 (25.2%)	0 (0.0%)	120 (16.2%)	262 (35.3%)	72.6	62^nd of 203 public elementary schools	69.5%		87.3	31^st of 204 public elementary schools	84.8%	31	48.0		63.0	61.0	$23,388	$2,351	$21,037
King Kaumualii Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4381 Hanamaulu Rd	Lihue	96766	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 241-3150	524	42	12.4	51.5%	30 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (17.2%)	129 (24.6%)	0 (0.0%)	121 (23.1%)	154 (29.4%)	86.4	33^rd of 203 public elementary schools	83.7%		84.2	37^th of 204 public elementary schools	81.9%	4	67.0		65.0	66.0	$27,035	$2,614	$24,421
Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School	Public	6-8	4431 Nuhou St	Lihue	96766	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 241-3200	826	59	14.0	51.0%	68 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	162 (19.6%)	216 (26.2%)	0 (0.0%)	162 (19.6%)	218 (26.4%)	52.2	21^st of 85 public middle schools	75.3%		44.5	27^th of 84 public middle schools	67.9%	6	35.0		58.0	47.0	$24,222	$2,802	$21,420
Kawaikini - NCPCS	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	3-1821 J Kaumualii Hwy	Lihue	96766	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 632-2032	177	18	9.8	65.5%	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (16.9%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	131 (74.0%)	14 (7.9%)								(n/a)	42.0		22.0	28.0	$17,773	$5,968	$11,805

Cities Near Zip Code 96766

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Lihue	0.31 mi	5	24^th
Koloa	7.21 mi	2	13^th
Kapaa	7.34 mi	3	44^th
Kalaheo	10.58 mi	1	10^th
Anahola	11.83 mi	1

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.