Enrollment
507
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kailua-Kona, HI
Kahakai Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kahakai Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000232
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kahakai Elementary School earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Kailua-Kona · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 48.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Kahakai Elementary School has class sizes near the Hawaii median. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kahakai Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Kailua-Kona, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000232 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.9%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kahakai Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kahakai Elementary School
Kahakai Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, enrolling 507 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Hawaii schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 48.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 507 students, its enrollment sits close to the Hawaii median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 295 Hawaii schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 78 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Hawaii schools statewide, it ranks #72, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (34%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 507 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 79.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Kailua-Kona's public schools, it stands alongside Kealakehe Elementary School (924 students): Kahakai Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.9:1 vs 16.8:1).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Kahakai 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 Kahakai Elementary School compares
Kahakai 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.9% | ▲ 22% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 507 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
507
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 66% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
79.3%
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 507 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 34.3%
Hispanic or Latino 22.9%
Two or More 17.9%
Asian 12.8%
White 11.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 34.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.8, Kahakai 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 Kahakai 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 Kahakai 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kahakai 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 Kailua-Kona
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~507 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kahakai Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kahakai 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 Kahakai Elementary School
How many students attend Kahakai Elementary School?
Kahakai Elementary School has 507 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kailua-Kona, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kahakai Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kahakai Elementary School is 14.9:1, which is 6% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kahakai Elementary School?
48.9% of students at Kahakai Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kahakai Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kahakai Elementary School is Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 34.3% of enrollment, in Kailua-Kona, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kahakai Elementary School?
Kahakai Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Kahakai Elementary School rank among schools in Kailua-Kona?
By Resource Investment Index, Kahakai Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Kailua-Kona, HI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kailua-Kona on the city page.
Is Kahakai Elementary School a good school?
Kahakai Elementary School earns 18/100 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 Kahakai 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.