Hawai‘i Private School Report 2026
Table of Contents
Hawai‘i School for Girls at La Pietra
With one of the highest rates of private school enrollment in the nation, Hawai‘i offers families a wide variety of choices to give their children a leg up in the world. Academic advantages—smaller classrooms, a strong focus on STEM, arts, or athletics—along with rigorous college preparation and connections to social and professional organizations are just some of the perks provided by private schools.
Many also foster holistic growth based on individual learning strengths and challenges and provide secular or faith-based values such as Episcopal or Catholic traditions. In this special guide, learn what’s new in some of our local private schools.
Assets School
Credit: Assets School
Located in Honolulu, Assets is the only school in Hawai‘i specializing in educating children who are gifted, dyslexic, or have other language-based learning differences.
Students in kindergarten through grade 12 are taught to understand how they learn best, while advocating for themselves and embracing their differences in a safe, supportive community.
“We don’t define our students by their diagnosis; we recognize their potential,” says Head of School Ryan Masa. “Many of our students are exceptionally bright, but they learn differently. In traditional classrooms, those strengths can sometimes be overshadowed by their challenges.”
With an 8-1 student-teacher ratio, Assets provides individualized, evidence-based instruction that builds on each student’s strengths while addressing areas of challenge. “Our students aren’t expected to fit into a one-size-fits-all model. We tailor learning to help each child reach their full potential,” Masa says.
Assets is currently constructing its first permanent buildings and classrooms for music, drama, art and robotics, as well as a makerspace where students can work together to build and create. Plans also include a 3,000-square-foot stand-alone library and a 1,600-square-foot courtyard, both funded by the school’s $10 million Great Minds Capital Campaign.
“Our capital campaign does more than enhance facilities—it expands what is possible in teaching and learning, fostering confidence, engagement and persistence,” Masa says. “The campaign ensures that gifted and dyslexic learners can fully access their potential and develop the skills, creativity and resilience needed for future success.”
In 2022, Assets opened the Transforming Lives Center at the K-8 campus. Its clinical director assesses students across the state for dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and executive function challenges, then creates learning profiles to support the students, their families and their teachers.
“For our students, the challenge is accessing learning in ways that match how their brains work and providing opportunities to demonstrate mastery in ways that aren’t defined by their learning differences,” Masa says. “Our educational model recognizes those strengths while providing instruction that helps students build the literacy and language skills they need to thrive.”
Hawai‘i Baptist Academy
Credit: Hawai‘i Baptist Academy
At Hawai‘i Baptist Academy, academic rigor is paired with faith, care and community, shaping how students learn, serve and prepare for life beyond campus. Serving students age 2 through grade 12, HBA is a big school that acts like a small one, and a place where students are challenged, supported and known, says Amy Vorderbruegge, the school’s vice president.
Vorderbruegge points to HBA’s “why, what and how” framework: Faith guides why it serves, academic excellence defines what it pursues, and a nurturing environment shapes how that’s accomplished. Although rooted in Christianity, only about 30% of HBA families are Christian. The school uses a secular curriculum, integrating faith through classroom conversations, relationships and four core values: humility, curiosity, love and commitment.
Its mission comes to life through a whole-child approach. Students study art, music and STEM alongside core academics, and eighth graders complete capstone projects combining collaboration, leadership and service. Recent projects include fundraising to provide menstrual products to girls on the island who lacked access to them and organizing a basketball camp for children with special needs. A new leadership and life skills course will help students with public speaking, teamwork, organization and time management. In high school, directed studies connect students with alums and professionals in fashion, architecture and design.
Meanwhile, HBA has been expanding its learning spaces. Its Innovation and Discovery Center includes a collab lab, recording studio, robotics and coding areas, fabrication tools, and spaces for gardening and aquaponics. Opening in October, the center’s “Aviary” will provide a sheltered multipurpose outdoor space for free play, exercise and large gatherings.
As AI reshapes education, HBA is emphasizing what technology cannot replace: sound judgment, compassion and human connection. Through its AI policy and digital citizenship efforts, HBA aims to develop ethical, resilient students who can use new tools responsibly and serve others. Vorderbruegge says the goal is to nurture and challenge students as they become who they are called to be.
Angels At Play
Credit: Angels at Play
Angels at Play Preschool & Kindergarten’s mission is to provide children with a fulfilling and successful early childhood education in a small, caring environment where they can grow and love to learn.
The school, which currently has more than 50 students, was founded in 1994 and is located on the grounds of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Honolulu. It’s for kids under 6 years old; the minimum age requirement is 2 years, 8 months.
Angels at Play strives to provide excellence in early childhood education in an environment that is healthy, safe and stimulating and designed so that each young child can flourish.
“Our experienced teachers work together with families to meet the goals of developing the whole child during their child’s most formative years of rapid growth,” says the school’s director, Lori Agena.
Angels at Play prepares children to enter kindergarten by presenting them with age-appropriate life skills and challenges and giving them “a joy” for learning. “While we build strong academic foundations, we place equal importance on nurturing empathy, positive self-worth, independence and meaningful social connections for a lifetime of learning,” Agena says.
The school focuses on activities designed to stimulate each child’s social, physical and academic development, and motivating them to explore the world around them while also being challenged through structured and creative hands-on activities. Music, outdoor play, monthly chapel services and dance are also incorporated into the program.
In today’s fast-evolving world, Angels at Play also continues to instill the need for kindness, confidence, and a love for learning, Agena says.
“Our goal is to have each child grow to have a rich foundation and to build upon what was learned yesterday and take this path to become a successful adult.”
Saint Louis School
Dr. Glenn Medeiros Ed. D. President Saint Louis School
Saint Louis School, Hawai‘i’s only private all-male Catholic school, offers a college preparatory education rooted in the Marianist tradition to students in kindergarten through grade 12.
Located on the lower Kalaepōhaku portion of the Ko‘olau Mountains in Honolulu, the school was founded in 1846; today, approximately 770 students attend the school.
“Our greatest distinction is our ability to recognize and develop the unique God-given talents of every student,” says Glenn Medeiros, the school’s president and CEO. “Our goal is to graduate Saint Louis gentlemen who are confident in who they are and prepared to lead with integrity, compassion and purpose.”
Saint Louis focuses on educating the whole person—mind, body and spirit. The school’s education model emphasizes academics, faith, leadership and the arts and combines rigorous college preparatory studies with opportunities in advanced coursework, technology, robotics, leadership, service and championship-level athletics.
“Through individualized guidance, students are prepared for the college, career or vocational pathway that best matches their abilities and aspirations,” Medeiros says.
“Students learn the importance of discipline, teamwork, service, resilience and personal responsibility.”
In a rapidly changing world, Medeiros says students must know more than how to use technology, “they must possess the character and wisdom to use it well.”
“Our blended-learning model combines proven teaching practices using technology, collaboration, project-based learning and real-world experiences. We teach students to use AI and other emerging technologies responsibly while strengthening the distinctly human abilities technology cannot replace: critical thinking, creativity, communication, ethical judgment and meaningful relationships.”
HawaiiUSA FCU
Katey Mobley
Chief growth officer
HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union
When families think about the cost of private school, tuition is often the primary focus.
However, tuition is only one component of the overall investment in a child’s development. It is possible for families to manage the costs associated with providing educational and personal growth opportunities for their children and still maintain healthy, long-term financial goals like college savings and retirement planning.
“One of the most common misconceptions we see is that parents feel they must either fully fund college or provide every enrichment opportunity along the way,” says Katey Mobley, chief growth officer at HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union. “In reality, financial balance often comes from thoughtful trade-offs.”
For example, instead of every possible dollar going toward future college expenses, a student may benefit more from an educational travel experience, athletic program, or leadership opportunity.
“The financial challenge is often not just paying tuition but thoughtfully managing the full ecosystem of opportunities parents hope to provide for their children,” Mobley says.
So, how can families give children meaningful educational opportunities while still protecting their long-term financial well-being?
“The first solution should be planning, budgeting, and aligning spending with family values – not taking on debt,” Mobley says. “While financing options may be appropriate in certain situations, we generally encourage families to start with a comprehensive financial plan that balances current educational expenses with long-term goals.”
HawaiiUSA FCU typically recommends starting with a family spending plan that prioritizes today’s educational needs, tomorrow’s college goals, and parents’ long-term financial well-being. Rather than trying to fund every opportunity available, families can evaluate activities based on their child’s interests, and the overall household budget, Mobley says.
“What sets HawaiiUSA apart is that we start with the family’s overall financial wellness, not a specific product. We help families balance the opportunities they want to provide today—whether that’s private school, athletics, travel or enrichment programs—with the goals they’ll need to fund tomorrow, including college, retirement and long-term financial security. Our goal is to help members make confident, informed decisions that support both their children’s future and their own.”
Honolulu Waldorf School
Credit: Honolulu Waldorf School
Founded in 1961, Honolulu Waldorf School has been part of Hawai‘i’s educational landscape for 65 years.
Its Hawaiian name is Kula Ho‘omohala Pua (School of the Blossoming Child), and according to Head of School Marie-Hélène Harlow, “It speaks beautifully to what we believe education should do: help each child grow into who they are becoming while developing a meaningful relationship with the world around them.”
The school’s children range in age from 2 to 12, and the program focuses on their needs at each stage of development. Here, Harlow says, the arts, music, handwork, world languages and practical skills are all woven into a strong academic education, and students learn not only by listening and reading, but by doing, observing, imagining, creating, moving and making.
“Here in Hawai‘i, we also want children to develop a strong connection to place, community, and responsibility for our island home,” she says.
At Waldorf, success is defined not only by what children know, but what they can do with what they know. They need time to develop their own ideas, to ask meaningful questions, to wrestle with problems, and to experience themselves as creators rather than just consumers, Harlow says. By strengthening these capacities first, Waldorf prepares them to enter a technological world with a strong sense of their own thinking, creativity and humanity, and, in time, to understand that technology is a tool that should remain in service of humanity, she says.
“We want children to think independently, develop their own original ideas, stay curious, work through difficulty, collaborate and create. When they encounter a problem, we want them to have the confidence to look at it from different angles, ask thoughtful questions, and imagine solutions that may not already exist.”
‘Iolani School
Credit: ‘Iolani School
‘Iolani School is a culturally diverse, independent college preparatory school in Honolulu. It serves more than 2,300 students from kindergarten through grade 12 and also has a boarding program for grades 9 to 12. Rooted in the tradition and values of the Episcopal Church, it was founded in 1863 at the request of King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma.
At ‘Iolani, educators help students grow into well-rounded, balanced critical thinkers prepared for success.
“‘Iolani has always believed education is about more than just academic achievement. We challenge students to pursue excellence while developing character, compassion and a sense of responsibility to others,” says Head of School Melinda Bihn. “Our students are encouraged to explore broadly, think deeply and contribute meaningfully to their communities.”
Here, a sense of curiosity is important. Faculty and staff create an environment where students are encouraged to ask questions, embrace challenges and learn from different perspectives. “Through academics, the arts, athletics, research and service, students develop resilience, sound judgment and the confidence to navigate an increasingly complex world,” Bihn says.
As AI changes how we acquire information, uniquely human skills become even more important, Bihn says.
“‘Iolani sees its role as helping students think critically, communicate effectively, act ethically and collaborate with others,” she says. “Technology will continue to evolve, but curiosity, integrity and thoughtful leadership will always matter.”
Bihn, who came to the school in summer 2026, says she’s impressed with the strength of the ‘Iolani community.
“Our One Team culture fosters a genuine sense of belonging, where students are known, supported and challenged to become their very best. That combination of high expectations and deep care creates graduates who are not only prepared for college and careers, but who are also prepared to lead lives of purpose and service.”
Hawai‘i School for Girls at La Pietra
Credit: Hawai‘i School for Girls at La Pietra
Serving about 100 students from grades 6 through 12, Hawai‘i School for Girls at La Pietra offers an intimate learning environment that fosters sisterhood and ensures every student is known, says Alison Beste, director of curricular innovation. The school rebranded recently with the release of its new strategic plan, Vision 2035, which includes a return to its original name. “We have a larger kind of strategic plan in identifying where we are in the world, and who we serve – and we serve young women,” Beste says.
Along with the rebranding, the school is changing how it defines success for students. “We are definitely moving away from defining success as a perfect report card and a perfect SAT score. Those metrics are important, but they don’t always carry over to life after high school.” Instead, the school measures success through its Portrait of a Graduate framework that emphasizes the skills and qualities students should develop before graduation.
Two new courses are being offered for the 2026–27 school year. Junior Seminar allows students in their junior year to design and lead independent projects, supported by female mentors in their fields of interest.
“We had one student who felt stuck at the beginning of her Junior Seminar project. We connected her with a marine biologist and dolphin trainer, leading to hands-on experience and a project she could bring to life,” Beste says.
Students present their work in school-wide TED Talks. The second course, Place and Purpose Learning, brings together sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students to explore their sense of place in Hawai‘i through Hawaiian history and the ‘āina.
“Right now, I don’t know what this is going to look like in December. It is in the kids’ hands and we’re not going to let them fall. We’re going to help them every step of the way, but you have to be comfortable with letting the kids take some ownership of their learning.”
St. Andrew’s Schools
Credit: St. Andrew’s Schools
The Priory, previously all-girls K-12, and The Prep, previously all-boys K-6, will become coeducational; the Queen Emma Preschool will remain coed. Despite the changes, St. Andrew’s will continue to uphold and maintain Queen Emma’s mission and legacy, says Ruth Fletcher, president and head of school at St. Andrew’s. “We’re an Episcopalian school, and to be an Episcopal school, you respect the worth and dignity of each child and then you help to build the world so that it’s more humane, and those values, those principles of our existence are going to stay the same,” Fletcher says.
The transition is expected to boost enrollment and increase opportunities for friendships between girls and boys. “We have a tough market here in Honolulu with so many independent private schools [and] we’ve always kept an eye on what we can do to make sure we thrive.”
The school plans to expand its offerings across academics, arts and student development in the coming year. Music and performing arts will begin in fourth grade, with students choosing to attend band, orchestra, or choir; language instruction will also start in fourth grade and continue through upper grades. In addition, athletics will be offered for both boys and girls.
The school is also strengthening its foundation of social-emotional learning through the RULER program, which teaches students to recognize, understand, express and regulate emotions to support personal and academic success.
“If you can regulate your emotions, you’re more apt to be successful in life,” Fletcher says. Emotions come and go, “but if you can regulate them, then you can actually bring out the best in yourself and others.”
Fletcher says the school will measure its success in part through student happiness, post-high school outcomes, and graduates who feel valued and confident that their voices and actions can positively impact others, including a reported 100% of graduates attending college.
Sacred Hearts Academy
Credit: Sacred Hearts Academy
Sisters of the Sacred Hearts founded the Roman Catholic college preparatory school for girls in 1909. Located in Honolulu, the school currently has about 500 students in preschool through grade 12.
The academy offers a “girl focused” academic curriculum and extended-learning programs tailored to “how girls learn best.”
“We focus on giving our students the opportunities that will set them up for success as they pursue their next chapter. Each learning experience – whether in a classroom, on a stage or in a field – is intentionally structured to develop each student’s strengths and aspirations while fostering a culture of confidence and empowerment,” says Chanel A. Moke Puha, director of admissions.
In addition to high school diplomas, at least 25% of academy graduates leave the school with associate degrees from Chaminade University, and at least half of the school’s athletic programs regularly advance to state tournaments, Moke Puha says.
On campus, the new state-of-the-art Creative Media Wing is equipped with a full studio, sound booths and editing bays, allowing students to create content and tell their stories using the kind of cameras, lighting and programs they would use in the real world.
The academy also has a tech team that monitors developments in artificial intelligence, “allowing us to embrace it,” Moke Puha says. “Our teachers have integrated some of the AI software into their daily lessons as an opportunity to show students how to use it responsibly.”
At Sacred Hearts Academy, preparing students for the future is key, Moke Puha says. “We want to help bring the best out of our students” and prepare them to be “confident, creative and compassionate individuals ready to not only be our next leaders but community contributors.”
Mid-Pacific Institute
Credit: Mid-Pacific Institute
At Mid-Pacific Institute, innovation is grounded in community, place, the arts, technology and student curiosity. Set in the heart of Mānoa Valley, the campus reflects that philosophy with its open-air gathering spaces, arts cottages, the Weinberg Technology Center and a new six-lane track and field complex next to a revitalized Wailele Spring.
Dr. Paul Turnbull, Mid-Pacific’s president, says families choose the school first for its culture. He says its strength is its small-school feel; here, he says, students are encouraged to get involved and to make the most of the opportunities around them. The school’s culture carries into the classroom through deeper learning, an approach Turnbull describes as relationship-driven and rooted in how students think, learn, unlearn and relearn. Rather than memorizing information only to forget it, students are encouraged to become “learn-it-alls,” not “know-it-alls.” At its core, deeper learning encourages students to seek novelty, stay curious and become comfortable stretching their brains beyond one right answer.
One of the clearest examples is Mid-Pacific Exploratory, or MPX, an interdisciplinary program that connects math, science, humanities, art and technology through real-world problem solving. One student who combined dance, music, motion capture and virtual reality in a final project went on to pursue both dance and technology in college. Another used LiDAR, drones and aerial photogrammetry to scan the campus before going on to Caltech and later SpaceX. That momentum extends beyond the classroom, too, with a recent graduate earning a spot on Team USA in track and field.
Mid-Pacific is also looking ahead through its AI Advisory Council and annual EdFuture Summit. For Turnbull, the goal is not simply to prepare students for college, but for a world where the questions keep changing. Through deeper learning, arts, athletics, technology and a strong sense of place, Mid-Pacific aims for students who are grounded, adaptable and curious enough to keep learning, long after graduation.
Le Jardin Academy
Credit: Le Jardin Academy
Founded in 1961, Le Jardin Academy is a private, nonsectarian school for preschoolers through 12th graders. Located in Kailua on O‘ahu’s Windward Side, it’s also Hawai‘i’s only International Baccalaureate school.
IB schools focus on inquiry-based, interdisciplinary learning rather than standardized test preparation. While other schools might teach subjects in isolation to the world around them, IB entwines learning with global issues, requires independent research, community service and a special class devoted to critical thinking.
Beyond academics, the program prepares students to make meaningful differences in the world by developing the whole person, intellectually, socially, emotionally and ethically.
“We combine academic rigor with a range of co-curricular activities and an extraordinary experiential education program,” says Head of School Earl Kim. “An inquiry-based education develops not only what they know, but how they think, communicate, collaborate and solve problems. They learn to ask thoughtful questions, embrace challenges, and take ownership of their learning.”
Grounded in the value of hana pono (to work carefully, correctly and righteously), Le Jardin students connect learning with meaningful action, exploring interests and giving back to the community through after-school programs, summer fun and summer school. All told, the school provides students over 30 different learning opportunities beyond the classroom.
“Our students explore Hawai‘i’s unique environment as an extension of the classroom, engage in real-world research and service, and develop a global perspective through experiences that extend from Windward O‘ahu to partnerships across the globe,” Kim says.
And here, college preparation begins well before senior year. “Graduates leave prepared to thrive at top universities and in their future careers, empowered to lead lives of purpose and to make a positive difference in the world, wherever life takes them,” Kim says.
“For 65 years, families have entrusted us with what matters most. It is a responsibility we embrace with humility and purpose, preparing graduates who are ready to succeed in an ever-changing world and shape it for the better.”
Hanalani Schools
Credit: Hanalani Schools
Nestled on 6 acres in Mililani, Hanalani Schools—a private Christian school for preschool through high school students—has nurtured, challenged and prepared students for success since its founding in 1952.
According to the school’s mission, Hanalani prepares students to graduate with a strong academic foundation, real-world problem-solving skills, leadership experience, and the Christian character needed to thrive in college, careers and life.
Educators focus on developing successful leaders and enriching the whole student—mentally, physically and spiritually—by offering high-quality programs powered by STEAM and built on three foundational pillars: core knowledge, critical skills and Christian character.
Students are challenged to discover their strengths and pursue their passions through project-based learning, design thinking, and cocurricular opportunities such as athletics, fine arts, robotics and student leadership.
Alongside rigorous academics, students learn to think critically and communicate effectively, and how to collaborate, create and adapt. The school’s Christian foundation and core values—to love God, to love others and to challenge yourself—also help students develop a sense of purpose and responsibility to serve others.
Hanalani recognizes that today’s students are entering a world of rapid change, and education should be about more than preparing them for the next test. It should prepare them for life. That’s why the focus is not only on what students learn, but how they learn. The school embraces technology as a tool—whether through robotics, AI, research, online learning opportunities or personalized learning experiences. At the same time, it emphasizes the uniquely human qualities that technology can never replace: creativity, empathy, leadership, collaboration and character.
The “Hanalani Way” is about educating minds, shaping hearts, inspiring future leaders and developing Christ-centered leaders who are ready for a changing world.
Montessori Community School
Credit: Montessori Community School
As Montessori Community School approaches its 55th anniversary it continues to emphasize a child centered, developmentally appropriate and research-based approach to education.
“We have an established history of cultivating critical and independent thinkers, and our preschool and elementary programs have provided research-validated instruction for generations of lifelong learners,” says Head of School Jyo Bridgewater.
The school, located in the Makiki area of Honolulu, provides programs for toddlers through elementary students, and is accredited by both the American Montessori Society and the Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools.
A Montessori education features mixed age classrooms, no grades or tests, concrete learning materials, and a holistic approach to development. Here the emphasis is on individualized learning plans that allow students to progress at their own pace.
This education model is particularly relevant in today’s fast-paced AI-influenced world, Bridgewater says. “It has never been more important for children to learn to think for themselves. Our students are known for their curiosity, initiative, and critical thinking, beyond rote memorization.” Those skills, she says, are nurtured through experiences “that allow each child to construct solid academic, social and emotional foundations.”
Montessori pedagogy considers the whole child, paying careful attention to the age and abilities of each while inculcating a deep understanding of mathematics, language and other core academics.
“Our children learn how to learn,” Bridgewater says. “By encouraging each child’s interests and giving models and practice for independent study, children proceed at much their own pace.” Teachers, she says, are guides and mentors who facilitate “individual investigation” and ensure nothing essential is neglected.
