Waikoloa School Guide

The school system in Hawaii is the oldest educational network west of the Mississippi, as well as one of the most successful in the nation at promoting student success, ensuring active learning outcomes, and securing a brighter future.

The first school was founded in 1840 by the Hawaiian royal family, after which point it immediately began assisting pupils in finding their voice, realizing their goals, and developing to fill their civic responsibilities.

There is simply no school system in the country quite like Hawaii, and despite imitation, it continues to stand above all others as a beacon of academic virtue.

Overview of Hawaiian Schools

Hawaii is the only state in the Nation with a unified statewide educational bureaucracy, as all five islands are overseen by the Hawaii Department of Education. Administrative oversight and policy adjustments are made by a fourteen-member elected state Board of Education.

Another unique aspect of Hawaii’s government is that, unlike other U.S. States, the five island counties are the only formally organized governmental structure below the state level, allowing them greater autonomy and increased status.

Also unlike the upper forty-nine, Hawaii does not delegate responsibility of educational goal setting to local school boards. Instead, the state government regulates all fees, taxes, and infrastructure changes directly. This provides excellent accountability and oversight.

Hawaii County Schools District

The fourteen elected members of the Board of education set goals, make policy decisions, and hire a superintendent charged with implementing strategy to improve the quality of education across Hawaii’s seven school districts.

While most U.S. schools are funded by property taxes, schools in Hawaii benefit from the equitable dispersion of funds from Oahu and more rural neighboring islands as result of their unified approach to public education.

There are currently two-hundred and eighty-three educational institutions operating in Hawaii serving over one-hundred and seventy-seven thousand students. The department of education employs thirteen-thousand teachers and conducts official business at the state capital of Honolulu in Oahu.

75 Aupuni St
Hilo, HI 96720
Phone: (808) 974-6600
http://doe.k12.hi.us/

Hawaiian Standards

There are three distinct components to the supreme education provided by the Hawaii County Schools system; curriculum design, instruction, and assessment.

Educators on the island chain understand that they are primarily responsible for the success and adjustment of each student through personal contact, mentorship, and behavioral support.

The objectives of the Hawaiian educational system were revamped recently in 2011 to ensure that all students would be college or career ready through careful orchestration of a challenging and nuanced learning environment.

Students in Hawaii have scored above national averages on the ACT college placement test as well as in SAT mathematics examinations.

To promote excellence amongst its faculty, Hawaii has pioneered a system of performance recognition and corresponding salary incentive.

One hundred twenty-three Hawaiian teachers employed by the Department of Education have already met the high standards dictated by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.

The success of Hawaii’s approach to education has provided a framework for the rest of the nation, as schools have begun to implement identical procedures to ensure student success across the country.

Independent and Charter Schools

Hawaii educates more students than any other state via independent institutions. Some of the largest, most well-established educational institutions in the world exist on the island chain.

Some of the larger independent institutions include Iolani School, Kamehameha Schools, the Mid-Pacific Institute, and Panahou.

In addition, there are several Buddhist post-secondary institutions along the island chain to further serve the diverse population of the Hawaiian Community.

These schools are amongst the most affluent and well tended institutions in the nation and educate a large percent of the Native Hawaiian children in the state.

Another alternative available to residents is provided by the Island Public Charter School system, which provides publically funded alternative educations to carefully managed groups of students.

Also worth considering are the numerous Community Schools specializing in adult education peppered across the island chain, which provide basic classes promoting adult literacy, GED placement, citizenship preparation, and English as a second language.

HAIS Official Site:
www.hais.org

Waikoloa Schools

Waikoloa Elementary School
68-1730 Hooko St, Waikoloa
(808) 883-6808
www.k12.hi.us/~waikoloa/Waikoloa

Hawaii Preparatory Academy
65-1692 Kohala Mtn. Rd., Waimea
Phone: (808) 885-7321
www.hpa.edu/

Parker School
65-1224 Lindsey Road, Waimea
Phone: (808) 885-7933
www.parkerschool.net/

Seagull School At Mauna Lani
68-150 Hoohana St., Kamuela
Phone: (808) 885-3557
www.seagullschools.com/

Waimea Middle Public Conversion Charter School
67-1229 Mamalahoa Highway, Waimea
Phone: (808) 887-6090

Kanu O Ka Aina - New Century PCS
64 Hiiaka Street, Kamuela
Phone: (808) 887-8144
www.kalo.org/

Waimea Country School
65-1237 Kawaihae Road, Waimea
Phone: (808) 885-0067

Waimea Elementary School
67-1225 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela
Phone: (808) 887-7636

Colleges and Universities

While many graduates of secondary institutions in Hawaii opt to enter directly into the workforce, others choose to attend collegiate schools on either the mainland or at home.

The largest University network in the state is the Hawaii system, which consists of multiple campuses across the chain and includes a research university at Manoa as well as two comprehensive campuses in Hilo and West Oahu in addition to its seven Community Colleges.

Private Institutions in Hawaii include Brigham University-Hawaii, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii Pacific University, Wayland Baptist University, as well as other religious institutions.

Kona University
KU was founded in 1994 as a Pacific University offering a robust assortment of distance learning courses for the betterment of Hawaii’s citizenry. In 2006, an online Master’s program was instituted, further building on the school’s reputation as an industry leader for communal service. In 2009, the school moved to Kailua Kona, and has continued to offer leading education in the practice and theory of mind and body healing.
75-6099 Kuakini Highway, Kailua-Kona
Phone: (800) 800-6463
www.kona.edu/

University of Hawai'i Center West Hawai'i
The largest collegiate educational organization on the island chain consists of ten official sites and dozens of research and training centers. The school has a total enrollment of over sixty-thousand students and oversees four campuses on the big island offering bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, doctoral programs, as well as professional and graduate certification curriculums.
81-964 Halekii St, Kealakekua
Phone: (808) 322-4854

University of Hawaii
67-5189 Kamamalu Street, Waimea
Phone: (808) 887-6183
http://www.hawaii.edu/