Company Profile
Parker School
Company Overview
Parker School promotes a joyful, engaged and outstanding educational experience for all students. The school community cherishes Parker’s tight-knit and extended family feeling, in which each student is known, valued, and nurtured. Meaningful relationships between faculty and students are close, and Parker students experience deep comfort and support throughout the school. In Hawaiian, this all-embracing sense of family and community is 'ohana, a fundamental quality of Parker School. Academic excellence and outstanding programs in the fine and performing arts, and Speech & Debate, distinguish Parker School. Parker provides just the right mix of challenge and support to bring out the very best in each student.
Parker is deeply rooted in the community of Waimea (mailing address Kamuela) on magnificent Hawai'i Island. At 2,700 feet (823 m), Waimea enjoys the beauty and moderate climate of “upcountry” Hawai'i. Waimea is the headquarters for two of the world’s largest astronomical observatories, located on Mauna Kea. The area is also rich in agriculture and ranching. Parker Ranch, the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States, has been based in Waimea for 160 years, and Parker School has deep roots in the paniolo (cowboy) culture of Hawai'i Island. The island’s top hospital, affiliated with The Queen’s Medical Center on O'ahu, is in Waimea. Waimea also boasts a thriving performing arts and education non-profit, Kahilu Theatre. Every season, Kahilu Theatre presents world-class artists of all varieties (music, dance, performance, family, etc.) from Hawai'i, the US, and beyond. The Kohala Coast, a popular tourist destination, is a short drive away.
Company History
Established in 1976 by community leaders, Parker School has been an essential educational resource for Hawai'i Island for over four decades and serves a diverse student body. Parker began as a ninth through twelfth-grade high school, adding grades seven and eight in 1977, grade six in 2004, and kindergarten through fifth grade in 2005. Today, Parker School is thriving as it serves 330 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Parker School is a non-profit, college-preparatory, independent day school fully accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), Hawaii Association of Independent Schools (HAIS), and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).