Summary:
ZIP code 96766, which covers Lihue on the island of Kauai, is home to exactly one middle school: Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, serving grades 6 through 8 to 826 students as part of the statewide Hawaii Department of Education. Because it is the only middle school in the area, there is no local school-to-school comparison to make — the most useful comparisons are how the school has changed over time and how it stacks up against other Hawaii middle schools.
Academically, the school is performing in the top quartile of ranked Hawaii middle schools. In 2025–2026 it ranked 21st out of 85 middle schools, placing it in the 75th percentile, up from 27th out of 84 (68th percentile) the previous year. It has held a 4-star rating in each of the last three reported school years. Proficiency improved in every tested subject from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026: English Language Arts rose from 54% to 58%, Math from 43% to 47%, and Science from 34% to 35%. ELA is the strongest subject at 58%, while Science, at 35%, is the weakest — 23 points below ELA — making it the clearest area for future focus.
Parents should also weigh a few context measures. Chronic absenteeism was 28.0% in 2024–2025, meaning more than one in four students missed enough school to be considered chronically absent, though no state or district average is provided for comparison. Just over half of students, 50.97%, qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student-teacher ratio stood at 14 to 1. Per-student spending is listed at $14,792, but that figure dates from 2018–2019 and should not be treated as a current number.
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