2024 Best Public Middle Schools in Hawaii

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.89 out of 5  150 reviews

Senior: University Laboratory School is a small public-charter school that is nearby the UH Manoa Campus. There are 8 required classes everyday (including art and music from 6-12 grade) and the average school day lasts from 7:45-3:15. I think that although the school day is long, it's refreshing to be able to participate in different classes everyday. The curriculum is different and really depends on the teacher that you receive, but learning and experimenting is encouraged. There are many different ways to learn things and with the small classroom and grade levels, it's easy to connect with other students and ask for help. The school has limited clubs and extra curricular activities, but as someone who loves to be involved, I've found myself busy with things since 6th grade. There are also many athletic opportunities for students.... Read 150 reviews

• grade A

• Students 449

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.21 out of 5  24 reviews

Senior: I love the teachers and the work I do here. I enjoy the opportunities they provide us and I would love to give a shoutout to my counselor, Ms. Waterhouse a shout out for all the helpful information and help she's given me throughout my high school life. The one thing though is that it doesn't provide enough opportunities for students to socialize. There aren't enough field trips and/ or things like student concerts or talent shows. But, this year their hoping to change that which I'm extremely excited for!... Read 24 reviews

• grade A

• Students 542

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.58 out of 5  73 reviews

Parent: First impressions matter. When we came to take ID photos, we were warmly greeted by each staff member. Right before classes started, we received emails from each teacher welcoming us to HTA and giving us their cell numbers if we needed help. In contrast, we came from a school where the teachers were not as available. On the first day of elementary classes, my son forgot his lunch. When I went to deliver it to the school, I was pleasantly shocked that the attendance clerk knew who I and my son was before I even told her our names. Brent was extremely shy in his previous school and had low grades but his teachers worked closely with him to be a confident, expressive and successful student within a short time. Ethan went though a tough time with the loss of two grandparents within two weeks and dealt with other hurts. His teachers gave their time, love, encouragement and humor. My kids felt valued by the staff from the time they talked and laughed with them. This is priceless!... Read 73 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,363

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  5 reviews

Middle School Student: As an alumnus of MMS, I can tell you that this school is amazing. The teachers care about students and are very knowledgeable, and extremely violent fights rarely occur. The orchestra program is fun and resourceful, according to my experience in this elective for the past 2 years. This school seems to value diversity and encourages students to be their own unique selves. I really appreciate my experience at MMS!... Read 5 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 674

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  4 reviews

Alum: I thought it was a pretty good middle school. The classes were challenging and everyone was nice. However, there's a lack of variety of clubs. The Music Department is really good.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 960

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  4 reviews

Alum: I think it's one of the better public schools in Hawaii. While food is not the best (which is the same for all Hawaii DOE schools), teachers are supporting and friendly, and they put in the effort to teach. The campus is clean and organized thanks to the hard-working janitors, and the administration is easy to reach out to. It's an IB school, so there's a lot of engaging research projects throughout the year (these projects make up most of your grade), but personally, MYP doesn't cover that much content and the teacher teaches whatever they want to teach. So if two friends that different teachers, they will be learning different things. Sports are pretty mid here, but there's a lot of new clubs to keep the students engaged with student life after school. They've also recently had a new building built, the World Language Center, with unique architecture that allows the building to cool without the use of air conditioning (never got to learn here myself because I graduated).... Read 4 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 742

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.65 out of 5  91 reviews

Senior: I enjoyed the environment at Kihei Charter and appreciated the doors that it opened for me. During my sophomore year, I had the privilege of enrolling in my first college course, which was a stepping stone for my academic growth. I was truly fortunate to benefit from the school-funding which covered half the course tuition. I firmly believe that other high school should take advantage of this fantastic opportunity. Throughout my academic years, I wished for a more structured and organized school experience. Despite the best efforts of my educators, I often found a lack of direction and guidance. The scheduling of classes posed a consistent issue at the beginning of each year, and it wasn't uncommon for issues to persist until the second quarter. I strongly believe that a more comprehensive and thoughtful approach to planning and organization could have greatly enhanced the schools productivity and overall quality. However, because of these challenges, I learned to be self sufficient.... Read 91 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 723

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Parent: I have been an AMS parent since 2016-2017 school year. I have watched the school blossom towards a well-rounded student center voice and choice programming. The culture and climate of the overall school system from students to staff has changed for the positive. The administration are still striving for more of a change to offer the best education for your student. GO PANTHERS!... Read 1 review

• grade A minus

• Students 694

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  4 reviews

Middle School Student: Aiea intermediate school has given me so much. It has great teachers and awesome kids. Aiea has a lot of fun games and activities.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 462

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  1 review

• grade A minus

• Students 739

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  26 reviews

Senior: At West Hawaii Explorations Academy (WHEA) learning is done through integrated, self-selected, hands-on projects with real world applications. The school has a project-based curriculum that emphasizes independent learning, technical writing, and building understanding through practical research. WHEA's motto is "No child left indoors!". Our classrooms were the summit of Mauna Kea, the outdoor shark tank in the middle of our campus, the botanical and agricultural gardens the students have planted and nurtured, and the coral reefs and alkaline ponds along Hawaii’s coast. Not only was that context extremely conducive to learning, but learning itself hardly ever had a dull moment, always relating to the real world, and constantly testing our greatest learning asset of all, our curiosity.... Read 26 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 276

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  7 reviews

Middle School Student: I liked that there were some very good teachers there that really cared about their students. There were a few teachers there that seemed to hate their jobs and made class hard for all the kids. The administration was poor because they did not do anything when kids were being bullied. When parents complained about the same teacher, nothing was done. The school is very crowded, so the school schedule is pretty sad as you might not be going to school the same time as your best friends and so you don't have anyone to hang out with or work on homework and projects with. Some teachers went out of their way to make the school a happy experience by letting kids hang out in their class during recess and lunch, which was nice.... Read 7 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,585

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  3 reviews

Middle school student: Wheeler middle school is a place primarily for military kids, those that often move to many different states throughout their lives. The school is understanding for gaps of knowledge the student may have due to constant moving and offers some leeway to students that transfer into the school midway throughout the school year. The school itself offers many different electives and opportunities, such as wood workshop and student council. One of the few setbacks is the quality of the school's foundation due to it being an outdoor school. Overall, the school is great and the people are unique and understanding.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 644

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  4 reviews

Alum: This school was good! The teachers are nice and the security guards are very funny and friendly! Such an amazing student activities coordinator, he put on such amazing events with the help of his student council.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 755

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• K-8

• grade B+

• Students 241

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.82 out of 5  17 reviews

Niche User: SEEQS is a really excellent school in terms of both academics and social-emotional climate. It seems like teachers really embrace students for who they are, the way they learn, and how they want to see themselves grow. The curriculum is not your everyday textbook-and-worksheet kind of class. Students are always engaged in challenging, thoughtful projects that help them learn about real-world issues. There are also a lot of opportunities for student to get out into the community by going on field trips, partnering with community organizations, and participating in volunteer work! Overall, I would highly recommend this school for anyone looking to push their student beyond the old ways of going to school and aim for a modern, progressive, and exciting new style of learning.... Read 17 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 180

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  2 reviews

Alum: Going to this school really set the foundation for my education and it was definitely a great experience. The teachers are very kind and make sure to challenge those who are more advanced. I would say the standard of education wasn’t as high, but above average compared to other public schools in Hawaii. The school is also quite small, so you really get to know everyone in your grade.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 284

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• K-7

• grade B+

• Students 220

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 7-8

• grade B+

• Students 523

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Alum: I learned how to type, not good but got the basics down. I also learned about metalwork, welding using an oxygen/acetylene torch as well as my first taste of an art class.... Read 1 review

• grade B+

• Students 629

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  8 reviews

Alum: My experience at Kawananakoa was great. I participated in band. I wish there was a dance team at Kawananakoa, I would have joined. I liked the teachers and students their were very friendly and outgoing. I made most of my friends here and went to high school with most of my friends that I made here and are still friends with them now! ... Read 8 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 606

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: When my child started at KMS, I was worried being that no friends were going on Red Track. From the first day, my child has enjoyed going to school. Red Track is also the only track that offers 6th and 7th grade trip to California on spring break. So far, my child's grades have improved. There is a lot more confidence in my child thanks to the Red Track teachers and staff. What is really great is the ratio of kids is lower compared to other middle schools in the area. (16 to 1) I feel this has helped my child get the attention needed with school work. Although this is not a new school, the teachers really do care for the students. My child struggled in elementary school. Here at Kapolei middle, I've seen improvement in grades, confidence and communication.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B

• Students 943

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Alum: Principle isn't the greatest, but certain teachers are extremely wonderful and willing to give extra help outside of class.... Read 1 review

• grade B

• Students 829

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  8 reviews

Parent: Wonderful orientation, organized, always smile, have a lot of passion. Especially David his class D2. He is awesome teacher. His voice is very clear and loud with smile. He is warmheart. My boy told me his family is Jarret. He has a lot of energy for Jarret. We admire him and proud of Jarret.... Read 8 reviews

• grade B

• Students 266

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Hawaii Department of Education, HI•

• K-8

• grade B

• Students 210

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1