Sitting in the pews at St. Andrew's Cathedral in downtown Honolulu, surrounded by stain glass art depicting founder Queen Emma, boys and girls of St. Andrew's Schools attended a recent Tuesday morning chapel during which they prayed, sang hymns and listened to a short message by guest Priest Ruth Peterson of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.
“How are you being shaped into what God wants?” Peterson asked the students.
Closing out their time together, students practiced their ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, citing the school’s mantra "kūlia i ka nuʻu," or “strive for the highest,” along with The Hawaiian Doxology, known as "Hoʻonani i ka Makua Mau."
Students at St. Andrew's Schools attend chapel at St. Andrew's Cathedral weekly. Photo by Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
The institution now offers “a fully co-educational experience” for its elementary, middle and high school students, as well as for younger keiki at its Queen Emma Preschool in Nuʻuanu. Photo by Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros (Aloha State Daily Staff)
Originally founded as St. Andrew's Priory School for Girls in 1867, the institution now offers “a fully co-educational experience” for its elementary, middle and high school students, as well as for younger keiki at its Queen Emma Preschool in Nuʻuanu, according to officials with the school system.
The milestone represents “the complete unification of these programs” at every grade level, officials note.
“We remain deeply committed to our legacy — and we take this step with the future in mind, knowing that the best way to honor our history is to make sure the next 159 years are just as bold,” said Ruth Fletcher, president and head of school, in a statement. “Queen Emma’s legacy is one of courage, compassion and visionary leadership. The decision to transition to a fully co-educational PK–12 model is a continuation of that legacy — made not out of urgency, but from a place of strategic clarity and enduring mission.”
Upper school students ring in the first day of being fully co-ed this 2026-27 academic year. There will be a K-12 Open House on Sunday, Oct. 25. (St. Andrew's Schools) 
Lower school classmates pose on the first day of school. (St. Andrew's Schools)
Going into her 10th year leading the school, Fletcher aims to continue empowering the students of St. Andrew's to “be their best and strive for the highest.”
This includes a goal of increasing its endowment fund to get more students enrolled with access to scholarships and financial aid programs, she told Aloha State Daily, noting that about half of the school’s students receive tuition assistance, including 34% who are Native Hawaiian.
Thanks to community partners and private donors, the fund has grown from $2.5 million to more than $10 million over the past decade, “which has helped a lot,” Fletcher said.
“I’m most excited about the rebirth and renewal of the school,” she said. “In this time where there’s a demographic decline in the number of children being born and economic challenges facing the state, we are co-ed so that we can serve more children and still ensure that our institution is financially stable.”
St. Andrew's is Episcopal in its faith, she said, which pairs with cultural teachings that instill in students values such as respect, aloha, kuleana, mālama and more. Academically, the school is known for its programs in leadership and career planning; performing arts; hula; robotics; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.
When asked where her favorite place is on campus, Fletcher told ASD that the heart is the food area, “where people come to eat and enjoy each other.”
According to her, chef Jeremy Shigekane makes meals for keiki that highlight ingredients from local farms through his FoodStart program, which he launched with his wife after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
St. Andrew's has various traditions and events planned for the school year including K-12 Open House starting at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25; the ordination and consecration of Bishop-elect Elizabeth Berman on Saturday, Nov. 14; and in the spring, its annual fundraiser, Queen Emma Ball, and May Day and Ascension Day, among other festivities. For more information about upcoming events, click here.
With a background in science, Fletcher previously worked at Punahou School and served as director for Hawaiʻi Association of Independent Schools prior to joining St. Andrew's, where she oversees nearly 90 staff and faculty.
Looking back on her career, she says that given the economic climate, “it’s more and more difficult to run a school.”
“However, there’s nothing like an independent school education to really help advance a child and it’s very much worth investing in,” Fletcher said. “You can never take away a child’s education; once they have it, they can take it with them wherever they go."
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Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
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