West Hawaii Explorations Academy

West Hawaii Explorations Academy operates as a minimally staffed 9-12 campus in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, operated by Hawaii Department of Education. Current enrollment sits at 286 students spanning grades 6 through 12. Compared to the state average of about 1,058 students per school, that is 73% leaner than typical.

Within Hawaii Department of Education, which oversees 296 schools and 167,071 students, West Hawaii Explorations Academy is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, West Hawaii Explorations Academy shows that 39% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Beyond that, the school logs 24% multiracial, 18% Hispanic, 13% Pacific Islander, 6% Asian. That is noticeably more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 31%.

In terms of school funding signals, The school currently runs with 17 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 16.8:1. The state averages around 14.4:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. About 21% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Hawaii County runs at roughly 59%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Hawaii County indicate median household income runs about $78,639, about 31% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. West Hawaii Explorations Academy is one of 55 public schools in Hawaii County (combined enrollment of about 27,129 students).

Nearest neighbor: Kealakehe High School, around 3.9 miles off. 3 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a countryside site. West Hawaii Explorations Academy operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Looking at the recent track record. West Hawaii Explorations Academy's enrollment has increased 13% since 2018, when it stood at 252 (now 286). The White share of enrollment shrank from 52% to 39% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 14.0:1 in 2018 to 16.8:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, posts here usually surface around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.