Enrollment
559
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kailua, HI
Kainalu Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kainalu Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000011
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kainalu Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Hawaii schools.
- #10 of 10
- schools in Kailua · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.4:1
- large classes for Hawaii
- 13.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Kainalu Elementary School has class sizes larger than 84% of Hawaii schools. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kainalu Elementary School ranks #10 of 10 schools in Kailua, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000011 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.5%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
-66% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kainalu Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kainalu Elementary School
Kainalu Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kailua, Hawaii, enrolling 559 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Hawaii schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.5% free-meal eligibility runs 66% below the Hawaii average.
With 559 students, its enrollment sits close to the Hawaii median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 295 Hawaii schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 49 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Hawaii schools statewide, it ranks #46, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Two or More (26%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 559 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Kailua's public schools, it stands alongside Mokapu Elementary School (805 students): Kainalu Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.4:1 vs 15.8:1).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Kainalu 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 Kainalu Elementary School compares
Kainalu 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 16% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.5% | ▼ 66% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 559 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
559
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 66% below the Hawaii average of 40.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 84% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.6%
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 559 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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
White 41.9%
Two or More 25.6%
Hispanic or Latino 19.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 9.3%
Asian 3.6%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 41.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.1, Kainalu Elementary School is about as mixed as the Hawaii school average of 69.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes Kainalu 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 Kainalu Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Campbell High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waipahu High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mililani High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kainalu 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
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Mokapu Elementary School
Standard public school
805 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Aikahi Elementary School
Standard public school
485 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Maunawili Elementary School
Standard public school
361 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Ka'ohao Public Charter School
Standard public school
332 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Kailua Elementary School
Standard public school
267 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Enchanted Lake Elementary School
Standard public school
258 students 14.3:1 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 (~559 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kainalu Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kainalu 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 Kainalu Elementary School
How many students attend Kainalu Elementary School?
Kainalu Elementary School has 559 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kailua, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kainalu Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kainalu Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 16% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kainalu Elementary School?
13.5% of students at Kainalu Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kainalu Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kainalu Elementary School is White at 41.9% of enrollment, in Kailua, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kainalu Elementary School?
Kainalu Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Kainalu Elementary School rank among schools in Kailua?
By Resource Investment Index, Kainalu Elementary School ranks #10 of 10 schools in Kailua, 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 on the city page.
Is Kainalu Elementary School a good school?
Kainalu Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Kainalu 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.