Enrollment
515
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pearl City, HI
Pearl City Highlands School
Federal NCES profile for Pearl City Highlands School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000113
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pearl City Highlands School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Hawaii schools.
- #1 of 7
- schools in Pearl City · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Hawaii
- 17.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pearl City Highlands School has class sizes larger than 74% of Hawaii schools. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl City Highlands School ranks #1 of 7 schools in Pearl City, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000113 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.7%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pearl City Highlands School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pearl City Highlands School
Pearl City Highlands School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pearl City, Hawaii, enrolling 515 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Hawaii schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 17.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 515 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 52 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #28.
Its student body is led by Asian (42%) and Two or More (27%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 515 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Pearl City's public schools, it stands alongside Waiau Elementary School (498 students): Pearl City Highlands School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.6:1 vs 14.6:1).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Pearl City Highlands 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 Pearl City Highlands School compares
Pearl City Highlands 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 11% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.7% | ▼ 56% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 515 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
515
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% below the Hawaii average of 40.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 74% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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 515 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 41.9%
Two or More 27.4%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 12.4%
White 2.1%
Largest group: Asian at 41.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.8, Pearl City Highlands School is about as mixed as 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 Pearl City Highlands 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 Pearl City Highlands School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Campbell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waipahu High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mililani High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pearl City Highlands 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 Pearl City
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Waiau Elementary School
Standard public school
498 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Momilani Elementary School
Standard public school
412 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Pearl City Elementary School
Standard public school
396 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Palisades Elementary School
Standard public school
356 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Manana Elementary School
Standard public school
270 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Lehua Elementary School
Standard public school
248 students 11.3:1 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 (~515 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pearl City Highlands School's federal record.
- Compare Pearl City Highlands 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 Pearl City Highlands School
How many students attend Pearl City Highlands School?
Pearl City Highlands School has 515 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pearl City, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pearl City Highlands School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pearl City Highlands School is 15.6:1, which is 11% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pearl City Highlands School?
17.7% of students at Pearl City Highlands School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pearl City Highlands School?
The largest demographic group at Pearl City Highlands School is Asian at 41.9% of enrollment, in Pearl City, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pearl City Highlands School?
Pearl City Highlands 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 Pearl City Highlands School rank among schools in Pearl City?
By Resource Investment Index, Pearl City Highlands School ranks #1 of 7 schools in Pearl City, HI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Pearl City on the city page.
Is Pearl City Highlands School a good school?
Pearl City Highlands School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Hawaii schools. 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 Pearl City Highlands 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.