Kohala High School

Kohala High School is a rural-scale senior high in Kapaau, Hawaii, overseen by Hawaii Department of Education. The school works with 259 students in grades 9 through 12. By comparison, Hawaii's public schools average about 1,058 students each, so Kohala High School sits 76% smaller than that benchmark.

Hawaii Department of Education runs 296 schools in total, collectively educating 167,071 students. Kohala High School is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, Kohala High School reports that 34% of students identify as Pacific Islander, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school shows 20% multiracial, 20% Asian, 14% Hispanic, 12% White.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 21 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.3:1 students per teacher. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 14.4:1 average. An estimated 56% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Hawaii County indicate the typical household earns roughly $78,639 per year, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. Kohala High School is one of 55 public schools in Hawaii County (combined enrollment of about 27,129 students).

The closest other public school is Kohala Elementary School, roughly 0.1 miles away. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools.

Kohala High School operates from a countryside location.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Kohala High School has remained close to its prior level, going from 253 students in 2018 to 259 in 2025. The Asian share of enrollment declined from 32% to 20% over that span.

On allk12, recent activity here tends to focus on pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Members of the school community can share what they know.