Enrollment
344
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Honolulu, HI
Ala Wai Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ala Wai Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000226
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ala Wai Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median.
- #52 of 53
- schools in Honolulu · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 53.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Ala Wai Elementary School has class sizes near the Hawaii median. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ala Wai Elementary School ranks #52 of 53 schools in Honolulu, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000226 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.4%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ala Wai Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ala Wai Elementary School
Ala Wai Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Honolulu, Hawaii, enrolling 344 students.
At 14.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Hawaii median, within a few percentage points of the 14.1:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 344 puts it in the smaller third of Hawaii schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Against 61 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #44.
Its student body is led by Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (39%) and Asian (27%) (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 344 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Honolulu's public schools, it stands alongside Maemae Elementary School (667 students): Ala Wai Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 16.7:1).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Ala Wai Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ala Wai Elementary School compares
Ala Wai Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Hawaii and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Hawaii | Hawaii avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.4% | ▲ 34% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 344 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
344
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% above the Hawaii average of 40.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 56% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
52.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,420
per pupil, district-wide
- above Hawaii avg of $17,420
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 344 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 39.2%
Asian 27.0%
Two or More 18.9%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%
White 2.9%
African American 1.5%
Largest group: Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 39.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.6, Ala Wai Elementary School is more mixed than the Hawaii school average of 69.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes Ala Wai Elementary School.
$17,420
Per student
+0%
vs Hawaii
Avg $17,420
+5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 0.8%
State 84.7%
Federal 14.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Ala Wai Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Campbell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waipahu High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mililani High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ala Wai Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,890
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,538
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,382
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,094
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar other schools in Honolulu
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Maemae Elementary School
Standard public school
667 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Moanalua Elementary School
Standard public school
661 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Aliamanu Elementary School
Standard public school
650 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Salt Lake Elementary School
Standard public school
643 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Admiral Chester W Nimitz Elementary School
Standard public school
587 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Makalapa Elementary School
Standard public school
579 students 17:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Hawaii, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~344 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ala Wai Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ala Wai Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hawaii Department of Education's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Ala Wai Elementary School
How many students attend Ala Wai Elementary School?
Ala Wai Elementary School has 344 students enrolled. It is a public school in Honolulu, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ala Wai Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ala Wai Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 1% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ala Wai Elementary School?
53.4% of students at Ala Wai Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ala Wai Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ala Wai Elementary School is Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 39.2% of enrollment, in Honolulu, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ala Wai Elementary School?
Ala Wai Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ala Wai Elementary School rank among schools in Honolulu?
By Resource Investment Index, Ala Wai Elementary School ranks #52 of 53 schools in Honolulu, HI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Honolulu on the city page.
Is Ala Wai Elementary School a good school?
Ala Wai Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Hawaii Department of Education?
Besides Ala Wai Elementary School, Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students), Waipahu High School (2,538 students), and Mililani High School (2,382 students). See the Hawaii Department of Education district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.