Enrollment
568
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waipahu, HI
Honowai Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Honowai Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000130
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Honowai Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Hawaii schools.
- #2 of 7
- schools in Waipahu · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- small classes for Hawaii
- 48.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Honowai Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Hawaii schools. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Honowai Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 schools in Waipahu, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000130 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.5%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Honowai Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Honowai Elementary School
Honowai Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Waipahu, Hawaii, enrolling 568 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Hawaii schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 48.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 568 students, its enrollment sits close to the Hawaii median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Among 81 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Hawaii schools statewide, it ranks #8, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Asian (53%) and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (19%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 284 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Waipahu's public schools, it stands alongside Hawaii Technology Academy - Pcs (1,924 students): Honowai Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.6:1 vs 22.1:1).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Honowai 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 Honowai Elementary School compares
Honowai 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 11% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.5% | ▲ 21% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 568 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
568
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 26% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.5%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 284 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
Asian 53.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 19.4%
Hispanic or Latino 14.8%
Two or More 12.0%
African American 0.4%
White 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 53.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.2, Honowai Elementary School is less mixed than the Hawaii school average of 69.6.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes Honowai 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 Honowai Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Campbell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waipahu High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mililani High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Honowai 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 Waipahu
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hawaii Technology Academy - Pcs
Standard public school
1,924 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
August Ahrens Elementary School
Standard public school
1,152 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Waipahu Elementary School
Standard public school
827 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Kanoelani Elementary School
Standard public school
735 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Kaleiopuu Elementary School
Standard public school
727 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Waikele Elementary School
Standard public school
515 students 15.1:1 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 (~568 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Honowai Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Honowai 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 Honowai Elementary School
How many students attend Honowai Elementary School?
Honowai Elementary School has 568 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waipahu, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Honowai Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Honowai Elementary School is 12.6:1, which is 11% lower than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Honowai Elementary School?
48.5% of students at Honowai Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Honowai Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Honowai Elementary School is Asian at 53.3% of enrollment, in Waipahu, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Honowai Elementary School?
Honowai Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (typical 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 Honowai Elementary School rank among schools in Waipahu?
By Resource Investment Index, Honowai Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 schools in Waipahu, HI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waipahu on the city page.
Is Honowai Elementary School a good school?
Honowai Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Hawaii schools. 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 Honowai 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.