Opened in 1958, Kalani serves the residential areas of Niu Valley, ʻĀina Haina, ʻĀina Koa, Maunalani Heights, Waiʻalae-Kāhala, Kāhala, and portions of the Kaimukī area. The current principal is Mitchell Otani.
Kalani's facilities include: 9 main buildings, a physical education locker/trainer facility, cafeteria, gymnasium, several portable buildings which serve as a temporary home for the Red Cross, a large building for their musical department, a swimming pool, tennis courts/basketball courts, and a marching band practice/soccer field/football field surrounded by a dirt track. A separate Judo room, and girls locker room was added in 2018.
Starting in the 1960s there was a decline in major athletics which was exacerbated by the opening of the Kaiser High School district in 1971. The lone exception was the 1970 baseball team as State Champion, which included Lenn Sakata, who went on to play for the Milwaukee Brewers and NY Yankees.[citation needed]
However, the school did excel and dominate in some of the smaller sports during this period. Including Boys Division 1 Cross Country with four consecutive OIA championships and three consecutive State championships in 1971 – 1973 under George Butterfield.[5] This is the schools longest run of State domination. Although in later years from 1973 to 1994 there were multiple State Championships for Tennis and Bowling for boys and girls.[6]
Kalani currently holds the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) Eastern division title in girls varsity soccer, and boys varsity soccer. In the school year 2005–2006, the girls varsity basketball team won the State Division II Championship and in 2007–2008 won the OIA championship. The girls volleyball team won the OIA Championship in the 2003 season. However, the school's most notable team in recent years is their men's soccer team, which placed second in the OIA and in the State in 2007, and won in 2013. The men's soccer team is a regular contender for the state title, and remains one of the top programs in Hawaii.[citation needed]
The school's tennis team also took the 2010 season OIA Championship and was runner-up in the 2010 State championships. Kalani tennis boasted a back-to-back singles state champion from 2009–2010, Jared Spiker. In 2009, Spiker became the first O‘ahu Interscholastic Association player to win a state singles tennis title in 26 years.[citation needed]
The school offers a variety of other athletic programs throughout the school year. For the Fall semester, the sports include Air Riflery, Bowling, Cheer, Cross Country, Football, Soft Tennis, Girls Volleyball, and Junior Varsity Softball. During the Winter semester, students can participate in Junior Varsity Baseball, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, Paddling, Boys and Girls Soccer, Swimming, Junior Varsity Girls Tennis, and Wrestling. Lastly, in the Spring semester, the available sports are Varsity Baseball, Golf, Judo, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field, Boys Volleyball, and Girls Water Polo. These programs are listed on the Kalani Falcons — Official Athletics website for the 2023-2024 school year.[citation needed]
Kalani High School is listed "in good standing, unconditional" according to the No Child Left Behind assessment tests.[7]
Kalani High School's curriculum is based on the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards (HCPS III) to ensure a high quality education for all of its students.
Kalani High School also uses Schoolwide General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) to gauge student learning and growth. The GLOs are:
Self-Directed Learner
Community Contributor
Complex Thinker and Problem-Solver
Quality Producer
Effective Communicator
Effective and Ethical Users of Technology
Advance Placement courses are offered for Calculus, Junior and Senior level English, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Chinese, U.S. History, Economics, World History, Psychology, Computer Science, Research and Seminar
Awards and Honors
2010 – 3rd Place High School Division – Science Olympiad Statewide Tournament
2010 – 1st Place High School Division – Science Olympiad Windward Regional Tournament
2011 – 3rd Place High School Division – Science Olympiad Windward Regional Tournament
Kalani High School is the home of FIRST Team 3008 Magma Robotics. Started in 2008, the team has been very successful, qualifying for FIRST Championship six consecutive years. The team participates in a variety of challenges: Vex Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition. The team participates in various outreach events such as workshops, fairs, and demonstrations. The team has become widely known for their "Bristlebots" – a toothbrush head with a cell phone vibrator mounted on it that causes it to scurry around. The robotics team also produces MagmaCrafts, fun laser cut puzzles made for all ages. These MagmaCrafts are made in the team's Protolab, a shipping container filled with laser cutters and 3D printers.
2009 – Rookie Inspiration Award – FIRST Robotics
2010 – Regional Chairman's Award – FIRST Robotics
2011 – Tournament Champion – VEX Robotics
2012 -Regional Chairman's Award – FIRST Robotics
2013 – Hawaii Regional Champions – FIRST Robotics
2014 – Alamo Regional Champions – FIRST Robotics
2022- Hawaii Regional Engineering Inspiration Award- FIRST Robotics
2023- Port Hueneme Engineering Inspiration Award- FIRST Robotics
2023- Curie Division Gracious Professionalism Award- FIRST Robotics
Freshmen students are grouped into Small Learning Communities (SLCs) which consists of team teachers. Houses include teachers from social studies, Science and English departments as well as counselors and Special Education teachers.
At Kalani High School, SLCs take the form of houses in 9th grade well as career-oriented academies/pathways during 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. The primary purpose of houses is to help support students with the transition from middle to high school and to prepare them for entrance into the academies/pathways during their sophomore, junior, and senior years.
House/Grade Level/School Pride – An important feature of the 9th grade houses is supporting the development of school spirit. Students will be provided opportunities to build their identities as members of a house, grade level and members of the greater Kalani High School community.[8]
Kalani High School Houses:
Zentoku
'Imi'ike
Laulima
Notable alumni
Listed alphabetically by last name (year of graduation):
^Richardson, Mahealani. "At just 28, newly-elected lawmaker garners national attention for breaking barriers". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
