Niihau High & Elementary School

17 Students

Other Pre-K - 12th

School Overview

Niihau High & Elementary School is a unique educational institution located on the island of Niihau, Hawaii. Because Niihau is privately owned and famously maintains a traditional, secluded lifestyle, the school operates under the administrative oversight of Waimea High School on the neighboring island of Kauai. This arrangement allows the school to provide a formal curriculum to the children of the island’s permanent residents while respecting the distinct cultural autonomy and geographic isolation of the community.

The school is notable for being one of the smallest and most remote in the United States. Its instructional approach is designed to balance standard academic requirements with the preservation of the Niihau dialect of the Hawaiian language and the island's traditional values. By operating under the umbrella of the Hawaii Department of Education through the Waimea complex, the school ensures that its students have access to state-certified resources and educational continuity, bridging the gap between a traditional, heritage-focused upbringing and the broader educational standards of the state.

Total Students

2.0

Full-Time Teachers

8.5

Student/Teacher Ratio

52.9%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Niihau High & Elementary School
Demographic	Student Count
Pacific Islander	17

Pacific Islander
17 (100.0 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Other
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Hawaii Department of Education
Phone:	(808)338-6800
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 12th
Total Students:	17
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	2.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	8.5
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes participating without using any Provision or the CEO
Qualified Free Lunch:	9
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 1 1

Grade 2 3

Grade 4 2

Grade 5 3

Grade 6 1

Grade 8 2

Grade 9 2

Grade 10 2

Grade 11 1