Enrollment
533
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Honolulu, HI
Kalihi Kai Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kalihi Kai Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000160
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kalihi Kai Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median.
- #28 of 53
- schools in Honolulu · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 52.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Kalihi Kai Elementary School has class sizes near the Hawaii median. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kalihi Kai Elementary School ranks #28 of 53 schools in Honolulu, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000160 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.8%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kalihi Kai Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kalihi Kai Elementary School
Kalihi Kai Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Honolulu, Hawaii, enrolling 533 students.
At 14:1, 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 52.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 533 students, its enrollment sits close to the Hawaii median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Against 76 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is led by Asian (71%) and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (17%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 267 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.2% 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): Kalihi Kai Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 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 Kalihi Kai 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 Kalihi Kai Elementary School compares
Kalihi Kai 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.8% | ▲ 32% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 533 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
533
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 49% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
42.2%
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 267 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 70.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 16.5%
Two or More 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Largest group: Asian at 70.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.2, Kalihi Kai 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 Kalihi Kai 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 Kalihi Kai 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mililani High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kalihi Kai 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 (~533 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kalihi Kai Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kalihi Kai 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 Kalihi Kai Elementary School
How many students attend Kalihi Kai Elementary School?
Kalihi Kai Elementary School has 533 students enrolled. It is a public school in Honolulu, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kalihi Kai Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kalihi Kai Elementary School is 14:1, which is 1% lower than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 11% 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 Kalihi Kai Elementary School?
52.8% of students at Kalihi Kai Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kalihi Kai Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kalihi Kai Elementary School is Asian at 70.9% of enrollment, in Honolulu, HI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kalihi Kai Elementary School?
Kalihi Kai Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Kalihi Kai Elementary School rank among schools in Honolulu?
By Resource Investment Index, Kalihi Kai Elementary School ranks #28 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 Kalihi Kai Elementary School a good school?
Kalihi Kai Elementary School earns 40/100 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 Kalihi Kai 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.