Enrollment
1,016
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Lihue, HI
Kauai High School
Federal NCES profile for Kauai High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 150003000086
👥 S:T ratio 42
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kauai High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Lihue · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 30.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Kauai High School has class sizes near the Hawaii median. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kauai High School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Lihue, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000086 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
70.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.3%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kauai High School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kauai High School
Kauai High School is a large high school in Lihue, Hawaii, enrolling 1,016 students.
At 14.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Hawaii median, within a few percentage points of the 14.1:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Hawaii, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,016 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Against 54 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #34.
Its student body is led by Asian (28%) and Two or More (25%) (diversity index 78/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 203 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Kauai High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Kauai High School compares
Kauai High School on the metrics families compare, against Hawaii and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Hawaii | Hawaii avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.5:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.3% | ▼ 24% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,016 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,016
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below the Hawaii average of 40.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 59% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 41% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,420
per pupil, district-wide
- above Hawaii avg of $17,420
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 203 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Asian 27.9%
Two or More 25.2%
Hispanic or Latino 19.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 19.3%
White 7.7%
African American 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Asian at 27.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.7, Kauai High School is more mixed than the Hawaii school average of 69.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes Kauai High School.
$17,420
Per student
+0%
vs Hawaii
Avg $17,420
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.8%
State 84.7%
Federal 14.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Kauai High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Campbell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waipahu High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mililani High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kauai High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,890
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,538
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,382
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,094
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Hawaii, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,016 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kauai High School's federal record.
- Compare Kauai High School against another school. Compare schools
- Hawaii Department of Education's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Kauai High School
How many students attend Kauai High School?
Kauai High School has 1,016 students enrolled. It is a high school in Lihue, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kauai High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kauai High School is 14.5:1, which is 3% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kauai High School?
30.3% of students at Kauai High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kauai High School?
The largest demographic group at Kauai High School is Asian at 27.9% of enrollment, in Lihue, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kauai High School?
Kauai High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Kauai High School rank among public schools in Lihue?
By Resource Investment Index, Kauai High School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Lihue, HI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lihue on the city page.
Is Kauai High School a good school?
Kauai High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Hawaii Department of Education?
Besides Kauai High School, Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students), Waipahu High School (2,538 students), and Mililani High School (2,382 students). See the Hawaii Department of Education district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.