Waianae High School

What Waianae High School does

Waianae High School is a public secondary school serving grades 9 through 12 in the Leeward Coast communities of Maili, Waianae, and Makaha on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The school is operated by the Hawaii State Department of Education as part of the Nanakuli and Waianae Complexes, and it is designated within the state's Race-To-The-Top Zone of School Innovation. Its educational model is organized around a smaller learning community academy structure: the Ninth Grade Success Academy for incoming freshmen, the Sophomore Academy for 10th graders, the Searider Productions Academy (a New Tech Network School) as a pathway option, and two upper-grade career academies focused on Natural Resources/Arts & Communication and Business, Industrial, Engineering & Technology/Health & Human Services. The school operates a 4x4 block schedule enabling Running Start college credit opportunities and supports JROTC military preparation.

The school's technology footprint is conventional for a public high school: Infinite Campus serves as the student information system with online portals for parents and students, and the school maintains a digital presence through "Kaleo O Wai'anae," the official website managed by the Searider News student journalism program. Searider Productions functions as an integrated multimedia journalism program producing daily, weekly, bi-monthly, monthly, periodical, and yearly publications, and it also operates a small e-commerce store on Square for yearbooks and merchandise. The school maintains active social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

As a public educational institution, Waianae High School does not generate revenue, charge tuition, or operate a commercial business model. All funding is provided through state appropriations via the Hawaii State Department of Education. The school is currently accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges for a three-year term with a mid-term review, with accreditation expiring in 2026. Leadership is in transition, with Ray Pikelny-Cook serving as Principal during the 2025-2026 school year and Brandy Yagi designated as the incoming TA-Principal for 2026-2027.

Name

Waianae High School

Legal name

Waianae High School

Website

https://kaleoowaianae.com

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Waianae High School is a public secondary school in Waianae, Hawaii, serving grades 9-12 from the Leeward Coast communities of Maili, Waianae, and Makaha under the Hawaii State Department of Education, with an academy-based curriculum and the Searider Productions multimedia journalism program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Alternative, Continuation & Credit-Recovery Schools (EDAJAAAG), Online Credit Recovery & Alternative Pathways (Virtual) (EDAJADAF)

Keywords

• Secondary education services
• Public high school
• Career academy programs
• Multimedia journalism education
• College preparation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Waianae

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Waianae High School provides tuition-free public secondary education for grades 9–12, organized into a structured academy system of smaller learning communities. Core offerings include the Ninth Grade Success Academy, Sophomore Academy, Searider Productions Academy (a New Tech Network School), and upper-grade career academies in Natural Resources/Arts & Communication and BIET/Health & Human Services. The school also supports Running Start college credit, JROTC, Career & Technical Education, and the Searider News multimedia journalism program.

Product overview

Wai'anae High School is a traditional public high school offering a structured academy system with specialized pathways. The core academic structure includes the Ninth Grade Success Academy for freshmen, Sophomore Academy for sophomores, and the Searider Productions Academy (a New Tech Network School) as pathway options. Upperclassmen (11th-12th grade) choose between Natural Resources/Arts & Communication and Business, Industrial, Engineering & Technology/Health & Human Services career academies. The school operates a 4x4 block schedule and supports Running Start college credit programs. Student media programs include Searider News and Searider Productions, which manages the school's official online presence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kaleo O Wai'anae: Official online home of Wai'anae High School, designed and managed by Searider News, the school's integrated multi-media journalism program.
• Searider Productions
• Searider News

Products and services

• Ninth Grade Success Academy (NGSA) A dedicated academy for all incoming 9th grade students as part of Wai'anae High School's smaller learning community philosophy, providing transition support and foundational academic preparation.
• Sophomore Academy A smaller learning community structure for 10th grade students continuing the SLC support from NGSA, preparing students for upper-grade academy pathways.
• Searider Productions Academy A New Tech Network School offering integrated multimedia journalism and production, including yearbook, news broadcasts, and digital media creation, as a 10th grade pathway option.
• Natural Resources/Arts & Communication Academy An upper-grade career academy focusing on natural resources and arts/communication pathways for 11th and 12th grade students.
• Business, Industrial, Engineering and Technology/Health and Human Services Academy (BIET/HHS) An upper-grade career academy organized into BIET and HHS pathways serving student interests in business, technology, engineering, and health fields for 11th and 12th grade students.
• Running Start Program A college credit program offered through the school's 4x4 block schedule, allowing students to participate in Running Start and early admission courses as college credit options.
• Searider News An award-winning, integrated multimedia journalism program producing daily, weekly, and periodical publications that manages the official school website Kaleo O Wai'anae.
• JROTC Program Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program offered as a military preparation pathway within the school's academic structure.
• Career & Technical Education (CTE) Career and technical education offerings providing career pathway exploration integrated into the academy's structured program.
• Searider Productions Store E-commerce platform powered by Square selling yearbooks and other school-related merchandise.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Farrington High School: Large urban Honolulu public high school under Hawaii DOE with established academy pathways (including arts/communication and STEM). Comparable in public-school governance and academy structure, though urban rather than rural.
• Kahuku High & Intermediate School: Rural Hawaii DOE public high school on Oahu's North Shore known for its academy structure, CTE pathways, and community-rooted culture. Highly comparable in rural setting, academy model, and cultural anchoring.
• Nanakuli High School: Sibling public high school in the Nanakuli-Wai'anae Complex Area, sharing the same Leeward Coast Oahu catchment, academy model, and Hawaii DOE governance. Directly comparable in demographics, funding, and reform exposure (ZSI/RTTT).
• Waipahu High School: Public Hawaii DOE high school on the Leeward Coast of Oahu with a well-known academy structure (including its Academy of Natural Resources and health-focused pathways). Closely comparable in catchment, academy model, and student demographics.
• Pearl City High School: Public Hawaii DOE high school on Oahu operating an academy-based structure (Academy of Arts & Communication, Natural Resources, etc.) and Running Start pathways. Closely comparable in program mix and governance.
• Kapolei High School: Public high school serving the broader Leeward Coast Oahu region under Hawaii DOE. Comparable in geography, public-school funding model, and academy/career pathway structure, with somewhat larger enrollment scale.

Broad incumbents

• Kamehameha Schools Kapālama: Private Hawaiian-focused K-12 institution with deep cultural anchoring aligned to Waianae's Native Hawaiian values proposition. Not a direct competitor (selective private, tuition-based), but comparable in mission around culturally rooted Hawaiian education.
• Mililani High School: Large, high-performing Hawaii DOE public high school on Oahu with a broader academy/CTE offering. Comparable as a Hawaii DOE public high school, but serves a more suburban and higher-income demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SeariderProductions
• Facebookfacebook.com/WaianaeHighSchool
• Instagraminstagram.com/whsseariders
• Xx.com/searidernews

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waianae High School