Pearl City High School is a public, co-ed high school located in Pearl City, Hawaii. Its mascot is the Charger and is operated by the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE). The campus features the sculptures Moon Beyond the Fence by Satoru Abe and Kua Kua Lua by Donald M. Page.
The school is accredited by the Western Associations of Schools and Colleges (WASC) every six years, having its most recent accreditation in 2019. The school utilizes a career academy model based on Smaller Learning Communities and is accredited by the National Academy Career Coalition (NCAC).
Campus
During its inaugural year, the school operated with only Buildings A and B. Over time, the campus expanded to include Buildings C through F, as well as Buildings K, L, and M.
The school also features a multipurpose track, soccer, and football stadium, named the Edwin "Bino" Neves Stadium after former athletics director Edwin "Bino" Neves. The track uses artificial turf, which was installed in 2016. The stadium also features a press box and bleachers.
An auditorium is located on the south side of the school, named the Michael D. Nakasone Performing Arts Center, after former band director Michael D. Nakasone. The performance center, formerly known as the Pearl City Cultural Center, is also home to a time capsule from the school.
Curriculum
Per HIDOE, the school uses Hawaii Common Core standards. As of the 2023-2024 school year, the school is ranked 12th the state of Hawaii and 4,034th nationally on the U.S. News & World Report. In 2016, the school earned a bronze medal on their national ranking.
Career academies
The school uses a career academy structure to provide individualized instruction to students. These academies specialize in culinary arts, health sciences and leadership, international business and design, and technology and design. Each academy contains pathways for individualized career paths and has received Academy Model Status by the NCAC.
Graduation requirements
Per the Board of Education, the school requires four credits in English, four credits in social studies, three credits in mathmatics, three credits in science, two credits in either world language, fine arts, or Career Technical Education, one credit in physical education, half a credit in health, and half a credit for the Personal Transition Plan (PTP), for a total of 24 credits.
Enrollment and demographics
As of the 2023-2024 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,418 students. Of this population, 304 students were considered to be two or more races, 253 were considered to be Pacific Islander, 54 were considered White, 231 were considered Hispanic, 561 were considered Asian, and two were considered to be American Indian or Alaska Native. 306 students were considered to be eligible for free lunch and 87 were considered eligible for reduced-price lunch.
Extracurricular activities
Clubs
Pearl City High School offers an AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program, which supports students who are preparing for college by helping them develop essential skills. The school also provides a variety of extracurricular activities, including DECA, a student organization focused on business and entrepreneurship; Mock Trial, where students participate in simulated legal proceedings; and Science Olympiad, a series of science and engineering challenges in which students compete at regional and state levels.
For robotics, the school participates in FIRST Robotics, an international competition where students design, build, and program robots to compete in various challenges, promoting skills in engineering, teamwork, and problem-solving. The school participates in the VEX Robotics competition as well.
Charger Band
The Charger Marching Band participated in the 2011 London New Year's Day Parade, spending ten days in Paris and London. The concert band has also played in Japan and the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.
Learning center program
As part of the HIDOE Learning Center program, the school has a music learning center created specifically to increase and broaden the abilities of students who are interested in music. The program offers a variety of programs, including a jazz band, concert bands, and a marching band.
Athletics
The school participates in the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA). Pearl City High School has won numerous HHSAA state championships across various sports. In 1997, the girls' soccer team won the championship and the boys' soccer team won in 1999. In 2004, the boys basketball team won the state championship. The boys' judo team earned titles in 2003, 2004, and 2006 and the girls' judo team won the championship in 2017.
In bowling, the girls' team won the HHSAA State Bowling Team Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017, with the boys' team winning in 2021 and 2024. The girls' air riflery team secured the HHSAA State Championship in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the boys' volleyball team claimed the HHSAA Division II State Championship.
Notable alumni
Listed alphabetically by last name (year of graduation):
- Kevin Asano, 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist in Judo. San Jose State University and Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame inductee
- David Kawika Hallums, sportscaster
- David Ige (1975), 8th Governor of Hawaii (2014–2022)
- Jason Scott Lee, actor and martial artist
- Mark Takai (1985), former member of the United States House of Representatives for Hawaii's 1st district (2015–2016)
- Jordan Ta'amu (2015), former starting quarterback for the Ole Miss Rebels and the St. Louis BattleHawks, current quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs
References
External links
- Official website
- District page
