Enrollment
13
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waimea, HI
Niihau High & Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Niihau High & Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000091
👥 S:T ratio 74
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Niihau High & Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Hawaii schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Hawaii.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Waimea · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 6.5:1
- small classes for Hawaii
- 70.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Niihau High & Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 99% of Hawaii schools. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Niihau High & Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Waimea, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000091 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.5:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
-54% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.6%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Niihau High & Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Niihau High & Elementary School
Niihau High & Elementary School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Waimea, Hawaii, enrolling 13 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6.5:1, Niihau High & Elementary School is leaner than roughly 99% of Hawaii schools and 54% under the state's 14.1:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 70.6% of students qualify for free meals, 76% above the Hawaii average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of Hawaii schools, with 13 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Its student body is predominantly Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.5% 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 Niihau High & 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 Niihau High & Elementary School compares
Niihau High & 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 | 6.5:1 | ▼ 54% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.6% | ▲ 76% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 13 | top 100% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6.5:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
13
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% above the Hawaii average of 40.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
6.5:1
students per teacher
- 54% below state mean
Top 1% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
38.5%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 100.0%
Largest group: Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 100.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.0, Niihau High & Elementary School is less mixed than the Hawaii school average of 69.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes Niihau High & 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 Niihau High & 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 Niihau High & 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 (~13 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~6.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Niihau High & Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Niihau High & 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 Niihau High & Elementary School
How many students attend Niihau High & Elementary School?
Niihau High & Elementary School has 13 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waimea, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Niihau High & Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Niihau High & Elementary School is 6.5:1, which is 54% lower than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 59% 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 Niihau High & Elementary School?
70.6% of students at Niihau High & Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Niihau High & Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Niihau High & Elementary School is Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 100.0% of enrollment, in Waimea, HI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Niihau High & Elementary School?
Niihau High & Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Niihau High & Elementary School rank among public schools in Waimea?
By Resource Investment Index, Niihau High & Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Waimea, 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 Waimea on the city page.
Is Niihau High & Elementary School a good school?
Niihau High & Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Hawaii schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Niihau High & 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.