Enrollment
1,401
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Kailua-Kona, HI
Kealakehe High School
Federal NCES profile for Kealakehe High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 150003000254
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 85
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kealakehe High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Hawaii schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Hawaii.
- #2 of 6
- public schools in Kailua-Kona · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.3:1
- large classes for Hawaii
- 40.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Kealakehe High School has class sizes larger than 92% of Hawaii schools. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kealakehe High School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Kailua-Kona, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000254 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
81.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.7%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kealakehe High School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kealakehe High School
Kealakehe High School is a large high school in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, enrolling 1,401 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.3:1 is larger than about 92% of Hawaii schools and 23% above the 14.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 40.7% lands close to the Hawaii typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Hawaii, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,401 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Against 24 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #8.
Its student body is led by Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 76/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 17 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 280 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Kealakehe High 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 Kealakehe High School compares
Kealakehe High 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 | 17.3:1 | ▲ 23% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.7% | ▲ 2% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,401 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,401
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 92% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.9%
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 280 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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 37.0%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Asian 14.7%
White 14.3%
Two or More 13.6%
African American 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 37.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.2, Kealakehe High School is more mixed than the Hawaii school average of 69.6.
Programs
AP courses offered 17
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes Kealakehe High 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 Kealakehe High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Campbell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waipahu High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mililani High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kealakehe High 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 high 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 (~1,401 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kealakehe High School's federal record.
- Compare Kealakehe High 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 Kealakehe High School
How many students attend Kealakehe High School?
Kealakehe High School has 1,401 students enrolled. It is a high school in Kailua-Kona, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kealakehe High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kealakehe High School is 17.3:1, which is 23% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kealakehe High School?
40.7% of students at Kealakehe High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kealakehe High School?
The largest demographic group at Kealakehe High School is Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 37.0% of enrollment, in Kailua-Kona, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kealakehe High School?
Kealakehe High School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Kealakehe High School rank among public schools in Kailua-Kona?
By Resource Investment Index, Kealakehe High School ranks #2 of 6 public 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 public schools in Kailua-Kona on the city page.
Is Kealakehe High School a good school?
Kealakehe High School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Hawaii schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Hawaii. 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 Kealakehe High 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.