Who We Are

Ka’u High & Pahala Elementary School is a small, rural, K-12 school, founded in 1881. It is located in the southern district of Ka’u in the town of Pahala on the island of Hawai’i. Ka’u is the largest district in the state and encompasses 600,000 acres. The three major communities in the district are Pahala, Na`alehu-Waiohinu (located approximately 12 miles southwest of Pahala, including Mark Twain, Green Sands, and Discovery Harbor subdivisions), and Hawaiian Ocean View Estates/Ocean View Ranchos (located approximately 27 miles southwest of Pahala).

Two schools serve the district, Ka`u High & Pahala Elementary School (K-12) and Na`alehu Elementary School (K-6). Na’alehu School was a K-8 school until 2005-06 when 8th grade students joined Ka’u High & Pahala Elementary School. Na’alehu 7th graders joined the Ka’u campus during the 2009-10 school year.

Public transportation, through the County of Hawai’i bus system, services the Ka’u district. School buses provide students who live in outlying areas with transportation to and from school. The school had two vans donated and two full sized buses purchased with grant funds which allow more opportunities to transport students to athletic events and field trips.