Waiakea High School

School ID - 389
Waiakea HS Sign
waiakeahigh.k12.hi.us
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155 W. Kawili Street
Hilo, HI, 96720
 
Phone: (808) 974-4888
Fax:(808) 974-4880
Facebook: Waiakea High School
Instagram: @WaiakeaHigh
X (Twitter): @WaiakeaHigh
PRINCIPAL
 
Mr. Kelcy K. Koga 
ACADEMY COORDINATOR
 
Yannabah Weiss
ACADEMY LEADS
Freshman Academy
 
Janice Kim
Academy of Industry and Technology
 
Diana Lau 
Arts and Communication Academy
 
Melissa Pierce
Health Services Academy
 
Chad Higa
Public Services Academy
 
Rochelle Tamiya
VISION
“LEARN FOR LIFE!”
Waiākea High School prepares and empowers the whole student with 21st century skills for success in high school and beyond.

MISSION
The mission of Waiākea High School is to graduate students with theessential skills of critical thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration for success in today’s world. Our mission is achieved through an environment of Smaller Learning Communities (SLC).
Waiākea High School, established in 1976, is a wall-to-wall academy high school serving approximately 1250 students in grades 9-12. Reflecting the diversity of the Hilo community, the student body encompasses individuals from various ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds.  Built on 43 acres of land adjacent to Waiākea Elementary and Waiākea Intermediate schools, it is located directly across from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo campus and about two blocks from Hawai‘i Community College.
 
Waiakea Students 2025The school has steadfastly maintained its purpose as an academy school for numerous years, guided by the leadership of a single principal for over 16  years. This prolonged period of stability has afforded the school the opportunity to embrace the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC)’s National Standards of Practice (NSOPs) as the foundational framework for continuous improvement. Adopting the NSOPs as a guide facilitates an ongoing process of reflection and enhancement, subjecting each academy to a rigorous national review by the NCAC. Remarkably, since 2019, all five academies within Waiākea High have successfully completed the NCAC review and certification process.
 
From freshman to senior year, students at Waiākea High are actively encouraged to embark on a journey of self-discovery, identifying their passions and laying the groundwork for potential career choices. After a year of exploration in the Freshman Academy, students choose from one of 12 career pathways and join the career academy that contains that pathway. In addition to meeting graduation requirements and preparing for post-high school education, students are offered practical, real-life experiences through work-based learning opportunities. It is an expectation that all diploma-track seniors, with few exceptions, will undertake a senior project culminating in a presentation to both the school community and the wider public.
ACCREDITATION
 
WASC Accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges - 6 Years
 
STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
SY 2024-2025
Fall Enrollment
1,217