With so many private schools in Hawaii, finding a good one can be difficult. Most parents focus on the schools located in Honolulu, but there are some fantastic schools located outside of town. The following is a list of some of the best private schools you can find on the Windward coast of Oahu.
St. Ann’s School located in Kaneohe, across from the Windward mall, is a pre-kindergarten through 8 grade school teaching approximately 490 students. St. Ann’s opened its doors in 1841, shortly after the Catholic religion became legal in Hawaii in 1839. The curriculum focuses on traditional Catholic teachings with hands on learning and considerable attention spent on music, art and technology. St. Ann’s is a Roman Catholic School with tuition costs $4,400 to $4,500.
Ko’olua Baptist Academy’ also in Kaneohe, takes students from kindergarten through 12 grade, and currently teaches about 230 students, but has room for 275. Originally called the Windward Christian Academy when it opened in 1974, the school changed to its current name in 1978. Ko’olua means windward in the Hawaiian language. Ko’olua Baptist Academy is for those that seek a distinctly Christian education. Most students are members of Ko’olua Baptist Church. The school’s curriculum is taken directly from the Bible and is used to help the children develop spiritually, academically, socially, and physically. They have one class per grade. Tuition costs are $3,200.
In Kailua, Le Jardin Academy is the only college preparatory school on the Windward side of the island. It was originally founded in 1961 as a preschool, adding a new grade each year. They now teach 700 students from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. Le Jardin focuses on academics and character development. French culture and language is a common theme in the day to day studies and the senior class takes an annual trip to France. Le Jardin is an independent college prep school and is not associated with any religion. They are focused on creating independent learners who are well rounded in academics, arts, foreign language, and physical education. Tuition costs are $12,600 to $12,800.
Also in Kailua, the Windward Adventist School, part of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, teaches approximately 70 students in grades kindergarten through 8. The Adventists teach that the Bible is the ultimate source of truth and that God is the ultimate source of knowledge. An Adventist education strives to bring “students into harmony with God, that they more fully reflect His image.” The curriculum uses the Bible as the basic text, teaching Christian values along with basic skills in art, music, spelling, reading, social studies, English, handwriting, math, science, physical education and health. The students also study the writings of Ellen G. White, the founder of the Seventh Day Adventists. Tuition costs are $4,800.
In 1965, St. John Vianney School opened as the second Catholic school in Kailua. St. John Vianney School has about 300 students in grades pre-kindergarten through 8. It is a Roman Catholic school. Most of the students come from well to do families on the Windward coast and from children of members of the St. John Vianney Parrish. The school has a very structured curriculum. in grades kindergarten through 3, students are taught the basics in math, language arts, social studies, art and music, and in grades 4 through 8 students study speech, language, math, Hawaiian studies, geography, life skills, and literature. Tuition costs are $5,100.
Finding a private school for your child can be challenging. The above listing of private schools on the Windward side of Oahu may be able to help narrow down your search.
