Aina Haina Elementary School

As a military family, our kids have attended a plethora of schools across the country. After leaving Hawai'i, my kids attended some of the top ranking schools in Silicon Valley, where the teachers asked, "what school did your kids attend? They are so advanced." Wilson. This school nurtured my children, grew their understanding of other cultures, and made them better people. They are now in high school and, if I had to choose the best school they ever attended, it would be this one. Wilson is an amazing school, with some of the best teachers in the country. Do they have high expectations? Absolutely. This must be embraced. Allow your kids to struggle, learn, and gain self efficacy. As high schoolers, they have earned multiple awards, scored at the top of AP and ACT exams, etc. Most importantly, they still love learning. They can still chant the Wilson oli, perform a hula, and their ipu grace our bookshelves. In essence, this school is incredible.

We have had two children in this school. They both have had varying experiences based on their teachers. There seems to be a lot of turnover both in the administration (principal, vice principals) and in teachers.My daughters were lucky to both have a compassionate, but skilled teacher who really left an impression on them. One had her as a third grade teacher and one as a second grade teacher. She incorporated mindfulness into the school day and made sure different children received the work they needed. She shared that the philosophy of the school was that homework should be “minimalistic and purposeful”. I appreciated this very much, however, not all the teachers were on this same band wagon. We love the Specials teachers and appreciate that this school values these subjects. We wish they could keep good teachers around. Currently, there is an interim principal as the last one left after only three years. The one before was there about tbe same amount of time, I believe.

This school is great, clean, close by.

We’ve had a wonderful experience with this school. The teachers are caring, attentive, and truly invested in each child’s growth. The learning environment is engaging and well-balanced, with strong academics and plenty of opportunities for creativity and social development. My daughter loves going every day, and we’ve seen her confidence, curiosity, and skills flourish. Highly recommend!

Just want to clarify for people because the info on this page is incorrect. The tuition is ~ $24,000 a year. It goes up every year. There are NO sports. There are only three grades teachers and they combine all the classes. Total enrollment is around 45 kids for grades 1-5. Only 8 kids in middle school. School day is 7:55- 245pm.