When Waimea School began as a public elementary school in January 1882, during the days of the Hawaiian monarchy, its 38 students were taught in the English language by Mrs. Stolz, who received her salary from tuition collected from her students.
By 1895, the school’s enrollment had increased to 174 divided as follows: Hawaiian 82, part-Hawaiian 27, German 6, Portuguese 34, Norwegian 7, Chinese 8, and Japanese 10.
And during the following year, three teachers taught in its two-room schoolhouse, one of whom was Mrs. Lucy Wright (1873-1931), the first Native Hawaiian schoolteacher to teach in an English-speaking school, and for whom Waimea’s Lucy Wright Park is named.
Also of note are Thomas Gibson, the school’s principal from 1884 to 1897, who would become territorial superintendent of education in 1913, and Henry Wishard, Waimea School principal during 1899. Wishard later served as chairman of the Kaua‘i Board of Supervisors from 1905 until 1930.
Waimea School became the first junior high school in the territory of Hawai‘i in 1921, when a ninth grade was added, followed by a 10th grade in 1923.
And in 1935, Kaua’i Rep. Clem Gomes (1892-1948) introduced House Joint Resolution 12 in the territorial legislature for the establishment of a high school at Waimea, which Gov. Poindexter signed on April 16, 1935.
On June 6, 1937, when commencement exercises for the 60 students of Waimea High School’s first graduating class were held, enrollment for Waimea High and Elementary School had reached 1,051 with 37 teachers, and its campus had expanded since its founding to include 41/2 acres, four new buildings, eight bungalows and additional classroom units.
Officers of Waimea High School’s first graduating class were Jose Tablada, president; Edward Miyake and Sakae Takahashi, vice-presidents; Shigeru Fujikawa, secretary; Shizuko Nakano, treasurer.
