Enrollment
381
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kapaau, HI
Kohala Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kohala Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000250
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kohala Elementary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Kapaau · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 42.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Kohala Elementary School has class sizes near the Hawaii median. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kohala Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Kapaau, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000250 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.2%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kohala Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kohala Elementary School
Kohala Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Kapaau, Hawaii, enrolling 381 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Hawaii schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 42.2% lands close to the Hawaii typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 381 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 71 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Hawaii schools statewide, it ranks #61, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (31%) and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (26%) (diversity index 76/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 381 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.9% 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 Kohala 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 Kohala Elementary School compares
Kohala 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.2% | ▲ 6% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 381 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
381
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 69% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.9%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 381 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 31.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 25.7%
Two or More 23.6%
White 10.5%
Asian 8.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 31.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.4, Kohala 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 Kohala 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 Kohala 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 | Similar 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 Kohala 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 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 (~381 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kohala Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kohala 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 Kohala Elementary School
How many students attend Kohala Elementary School?
Kohala Elementary School has 381 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kapaau, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kohala Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kohala Elementary School is 15.2:1, which is 8% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kohala Elementary School?
42.2% of students at Kohala Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kohala Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kohala Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 31.0% of enrollment, in Kapaau, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kohala Elementary School?
Kohala 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 Kohala Elementary School rank among public schools in Kapaau?
By Resource Investment Index, Kohala Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Kapaau, 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 Kapaau on the city page.
Is Kohala Elementary School a good school?
Kohala Elementary School earns 23/100 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 Kohala 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.