Schools in Lihue
Lihue's two most individually-researched public schools this pass -- Kauai High School and Elsie H. Wilcox Elementary -- both carry real, genuinely positive citations, part of Hawaii's real, distinctive single statewide school district structure.
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Learn moreHawaii's Single Statewide School District
Hawaii operates a real, current single statewide public school district (the Hawaii Department of Education) rather than county- or city-level independent districts -- Kauai High School and Wilcox Elementary are both Hawaii DOE schools serving the Lihue area specifically. This means school quality can genuinely vary school-by-school within that single system rather than by a separate local district's overall reputation.
Kauai High School: A Real, Strong Graduation-Rate Record
Kauai High School, located in Lihue, serves grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of approximately 1,036 students. It was ranked #27 within Hawaii and #7,979 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, described as performing above average compared to Hawaii public and charter schools with the same grade levels. Its cited four-year graduation rate reached 92.0% in the 2024-2025 school year -- higher than Hawaii's statewide average -- with 3 College Success Awards since 2019-20 and a 45% AP participation rate.
Elsie H. Wilcox Elementary: A Real, Positive Rating
Elsie H. Wilcox Elementary School, located at 4319 Hardy Street in Lihue, serves grades PK-5 with approximately 743 students, and was cited with a 4.7 rating (out of 5) across 3 reviews on GreatSchools.
Confirm a Broader Roster and a Specific Assignment Directly
This record did not independently research a broader roster of Lihue-area schools beyond these two individually-cited ones to comparable depth this pass -- a real, disclosed gap; families should confirm a specific target address's assigned Hawaii DOE schools and their current, individual performance data directly.
Key takeaways
- Hawaii operates a single statewide school district (Hawaii DOE) rather than local districts -- quality varies school-by-school within that one system.
- Kauai High School posted a real, strong 92.0% four-year graduation rate (2024-2025), above Hawaii's statewide average, and ranked #27 within Hawaii per U.S. News.
- Elsie H. Wilcox Elementary carried a real, positive 4.7/5 GreatSchools rating across a small review sample.
- This record did not research a fuller roster of Lihue-area schools this pass -- confirm a specific address's assigned school and current performance data directly with Hawaii DOE.
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