More than 700 Kaua‘i seniors set to graduate this weekend

The numbers point to more than a ceremony. They show a pipeline that is already moving some Kaua‘i students beyond high school before their diplomas are even handed out. Four Kapaa seniors earned Associate in Arts, Liberal Arts degrees through Kauai Community College, a sign that Early Admission programs are giving local students a head start on college credit and, in some cases, a direct-transfer degree before they leave high school. For an island that depends on keeping young people connected to local schools, jobs and training, that matters.

Kaua‘i Complex Area Superintendent Leila Maeda-Kobayashi said the graduating class reached this point through years of work and family support, and she framed student growth as rooted in community, ancestry and responsibility. Maeda-Kobayashi took over the complex area superintendent role on July 1, 2025, after serving as deputy complex area superintendent starting in March 2025. She followed Daniel Hamada, who retired after 47 years with Hawaii public schools and eight years as principal at Kapaa High. That leadership continuity gives the weekend’s ceremonies added institutional weight, especially at a time when the island is asking schools to prepare students not just for college, but for the workforce and training paths that keep talent on Kaua‘i.

The week’s logistics are just as concrete for families. Kapaa High’s graduation letter called for mandatory practice from 9:30 a.m. to noon, said each graduate will receive 10 ceremony tickets and noted that no extra tickets will be available. The school also scheduled a Project Grad celebration backed by more than $30,000 in community donations, with support from the Kapaa High School Foundation and the Mama Tiff Cares Foundation.