Enrollment
432
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Honolulu, HI
Kalihi Waena Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kalihi Waena Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000209
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kalihi Waena Elementary School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median.
- #40 of 53
- schools in Honolulu · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 53.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Kalihi Waena Elementary School has class sizes near the Hawaii median. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kalihi Waena Elementary School ranks #40 of 53 schools in Honolulu, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000209 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.5%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kalihi Waena Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kalihi Waena Elementary School
Kalihi Waena Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Honolulu, Hawaii, enrolling 432 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Hawaii schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 432 students, its enrollment sits close to the Hawaii median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Against 69 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is led by Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (44%) and Asian (42%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 432 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 57.6% 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): Kalihi Waena Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.1:1 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 Waena 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 Waena Elementary School compares
Kalihi Waena 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.5% | ▲ 34% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 432 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
432
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.5%
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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 32% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
57.6%
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 432 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 44.4%
Asian 41.7%
Two or More 10.4%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
Largest group: Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 44.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Kalihi Waena 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 Waena 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 Waena 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kalihi Waena 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 (~432 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kalihi Waena Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kalihi Waena 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 Waena Elementary School
How many students attend Kalihi Waena Elementary School?
Kalihi Waena Elementary School has 432 students enrolled. It is a public school in Honolulu, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kalihi Waena Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kalihi Waena Elementary School is 13.1:1, which is 7% lower than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 17% 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 Waena Elementary School?
53.5% of students at Kalihi Waena Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kalihi Waena Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kalihi Waena Elementary School is Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 44.4% of enrollment, in Honolulu, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kalihi Waena Elementary School?
Kalihi Waena Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Waena Elementary School rank among schools in Honolulu?
By Resource Investment Index, Kalihi Waena Elementary School ranks #40 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 Waena Elementary School a good school?
Kalihi Waena Elementary School earns 33/100 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 Waena 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.