Enrollment
320
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kaneohe, HI
Puohala Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Puohala Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000023
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Puohala Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Hawaii schools.
- #9 of 10
- schools in Kaneohe · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16:1
- large classes for Hawaii
- 42.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Puohala Elementary School has class sizes larger than 79% of Hawaii schools. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Puohala Elementary School ranks #9 of 10 schools in Kaneohe, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000023 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.0%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Puohala Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Puohala Elementary School
Puohala Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Kaneohe, Hawaii, enrolling 320 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of Hawaii schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 42.0% lands close to the Hawaii typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 320 puts it in the smaller third of Hawaii schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Against 49 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #35.
Its student body is led by Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 320 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Kaneohe's public schools, it stands alongside Kaneohe Elementary School (546 students): Puohala Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16:1 vs 14.4:1).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Puohala 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 Puohala Elementary School compares
Puohala 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 13% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.0% | ▲ 5% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 320 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
320
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 79% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.0%
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 320 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 51.3%
Hispanic or Latino 23.4%
Two or More 17.2%
Asian 5.6%
White 1.3%
African American 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 51.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.9, Puohala 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 Puohala 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 Puohala 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 Puohala 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 Kaneohe
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Kaneohe Elementary School
Standard public school
546 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Kapunahala Elementary School
Standard public school
435 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Heeia Elementary School
Standard public school
358 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Ahuimanu Elementary School
Standard public school
285 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Kahaluu Elementary School
Standard public school
249 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Reverend Benjamin Parker Elementary School
Standard public school
234 students 12.3:1 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 (~320 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Puohala Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Puohala 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 Puohala Elementary School
How many students attend Puohala Elementary School?
Puohala Elementary School has 320 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kaneohe, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Puohala Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Puohala Elementary School is 16:1, which is 13% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Puohala Elementary School?
42.0% of students at Puohala Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Puohala Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Puohala Elementary School is Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 51.3% of enrollment, in Kaneohe, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Puohala Elementary School?
Puohala Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Puohala Elementary School rank among schools in Kaneohe?
By Resource Investment Index, Puohala Elementary School ranks #9 of 10 schools in Kaneohe, HI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kaneohe on the city page.
Is Puohala Elementary School a good school?
Puohala Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% 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 Puohala 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.