Namahana School

A Hawaiʻi Public Charter Middle & High School
North Shore, Kauaʻi
Opening 2025

Namahana School will become a piko (center, life source) for our community by nourishing the mind, body and spirit of its youth.

  • icon family

    Students & Families

    Are you or a family member entering 7th or 8th grade in 2025? Find out more about the education model.

    Students
  • icon campus tour

    Campus Tour

    Take a sneak peak of our future campus design.

    Campus Tour
  • icon FAQs

    FAQ

    A list of “Frequently Asked Questions” are answered here.

    FAQ
  • icon give

    Giving

    We invite community members to help support our efforts to build Namahana School.

    Giving

Empowering Our Community
Through Education

As the very first public, tuition-free middle and high school for children on the North Shore of Kauaʻi, Namahana School is poised to address critical community needs in various ways. At a basic level, it will offer our families a geographically accessible post-primary school education, eliminating long commutes that rob children of valuable rest and recreational time. It will also free up opportunities for involvement in after-school and other enrichment, enabling students and parents to be more fully engaged in their education. Partnered with Big Picture Learning, Namahana School’s learning model is a dynamic approach to education in which learners can deepen their relationship with the land and its resources, cultivate connections within their communities, and build critical skills that can be applied to real-world issues and meet the needs of the whole community, from keiki to kūpuna (student to elders).

At-a-Glance

Opening

2025

Grades

7 - 12

Students Total

360​

Students per Grade

60

  • Opening Timeline

    We plan to enroll our first cohort of students in grades 7 and 8 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Each year thereafter, we will add one more grade as existing students move up into high school until all grades are operating at target capacity. Our campus is scheduled to be built in phases to accommodate this staggered enrollment timeline, with both campus and student population complete by the 2029-2030 academic year.

  • Student Population

    Namahana School will serve a total of 360 students from grades 7-12, with approximately 60 students in each grade. We anticipate that our students will come from the geographic areas of Haleleʻa and Koʻolau on the North Shore of Kauaʻi, and that the majority will come from Hanalei Elementary School and Kīlauea Elementary School with some possible enrollment coming from local private and homeschool entities.

  • Curriculum

    As a Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School, Namahana School will ensure that all students meet DOE graduation requirements and state testing standards, while also experiencing a dynamic ʻāina-based curriculum that emphasizes student-driven learning to address real-world problems. We will provide students with the tools for academic, personal and professional success while inspiring them to become future leaders for their communities in Kauaʻi and beyond.

  • Why does our community need Namahana School?

    For decades, North Shore families have dreamed of a public middle and high school where all of our children can continue to be educated with the care they experience at Hanalei and Kīlauea elementary schools. Currently, they must shoulder exhausting commutes of up to three hours per day, often by bus, to Kapaʻa or beyond.

  • How can I enroll my child at Namahana School?

    We will enroll our first cohort of students in 2024, with the goal of welcoming 60 students each in grades 7 and 8 during the 2025-2026 school year. If you are interested in enrolling your child, please sign up for our newsletter so you can receive the first update when enrollment opens. If we have more applicants that available spaces, a lottery will be used to determine enrollment.

  • What is a Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School?

    The Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission defines a charter school as a tuition-free public school operating under a contract with the State Public Charter School Commission. While charter schools must follow federal laws and state standards for public schools, they have flexibility with curriculum, scheduling, and direct management of resources, which allows for innovation. Hawai‘i public charter school teachers are covered by the Hawaiʻi statewide collective bargaining agreement.

  • What grades will Namahana School serve?

    Namahana will serve students in grades 7-12. The school plans to open with grades 7 and 8 and sequentially add grades until we reach full middle/high school capacity.

Latest News and Updates

Featured
Namahana School to Host Next Community Event at Anaina Hou on April 28th, 3-5pm
Namahana School to Host Next Community Event at Anaina Hou on April 28th, 3-5pm

Team Namahana will share some exciting updates on the school model, how you can support, recruitment, intent to enroll and our Phase I Facilities plan. This is an event you won’t want to miss! Register for the event ahead of time to skip the line. First 100 people to register will receive a free meal ticket. Food and beverage will also be available for purchase.

Read More →
Hawaiʻi Public Radio 2023 Annual Report Features Namahana School’s Dr. Kapua Chandler
Hawaiʻi Public Radio 2023 Annual Report Features Namahana School’s Dr. Kapua Chandler

‘Āina-Based Learning Takes Root in Kīlauea: Along Kaua‘i’s north shore, a sense of community runs deep. However, for Dr. Kapua Chandler, upholding a connection to the people, places and history of her ancestral home holds an even more profound significance. For the past eight years, she’s tirelessly worked to bring the first public charter middle and high school, Namahana, to her community. Through an ‘āina-based curriculum, students will receive a dynamic education that strengthens their relationships with land and community when the school opens its doors in 2025.

Read More →
Matching Gift of $500,000 Yields Over $1M for Namahana School
Matching Gift of $500,000 Yields Over $1M for Namahana School

Namahana Education Foundation (NEF), the nonprofit organization that oversees fundraising for Namahana School, today surpassed a creative fundraising challenge designed to raise $1 million for Namahana School’s pre-opening needs, when $500,000 in community donations were doubled by a generous matching gift from Mike Kaplan and Rose Contreras. This generous funding, as well as the momentum of donors and community members mobilizing across Kaua‘i’s North Shore, supports Namahana School's rapidly approaching opening in 2025. NEF continues to seek capital and community support to accelerate the next phase of the initial campus buildout.  

Read More →
The Garden Island: Namahana gets green light from planning commission
The Garden Island: Namahana gets green light from planning commission

The Kaua‘i County Planning Commission unanimously approved the Namahana School Special Use Permit application at its Tuesday, Dec. 12, meeting.

Read More →
Namahana School Receives Special Use Permit for Campus Development
Namahana School Receives Special Use Permit for Campus Development

On Dec. 12, Līhue Civic Center echoed with the voices of North Shore community members expressing their support for Namahana School’s Special Use Permit (SUP) application. The SUP, which was approved by a unanimous vote of the Kaua‘i County Planning Commission, grants permission for the school to develop its campus on 11.3 acres of agriculturally-zoned land adjacent to Kīlauea Town.

Read More →

“Our vision reflects the spirit and lifestyle of the North Shore of Kauaʻi, which is our inspiration. Namahana School will be a tangible expression of our community’s aspirations, made possible through the community’s full engagement.”

Kapua Chandler

Dr. Kapua Chandler
Namahana School Leader

We respect your privacy by not sharing your contact information with other organizations or entitles.