Kawaikini - NCPCS

Kawaikini - NCPCS is one of the modestly sized unified-grade schools in Lihue, Hawaii, operated by Hawaii Department of Education, with 177 students on its rolls from grades K through 12. By comparison, Hawaii's public schools average about 412 students each, so Kawaikini - NCPCS sits 57% below that benchmark.

Across the 296 schools in Hawaii Department of Education (167,071 students total), Kawaikini - NCPCS accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Kawaikini - NCPCS logs that 74% of the student body identifies as Pacific Islander. Other groups include 17% Hispanic, 8% multiracial.

On the resource side, Staff filings list 18 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 9.8:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 12.4:1, putting Kawaikini - NCPCS tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 66% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Kauai County (around 47%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

Around the school, community-level numbers for Kauai County indicate median household earnings sit near $97,668, roughly 30% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Kauai County's 22 public schools (combined enrollment of about 9,236 students), Kawaikini - NCPCS is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School, around 0.7 miles off. 4 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a small-town area. As a public charter, Kawaikini - NCPCS runs on public funding but with greater curricular and operational autonomy than a typical district school.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 20%: 147 students in 2018 compared to 177 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 5% to 1% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 11.8:1 in 2018 to 9.8:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.