Enrollment
750
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wailuku, HI
Puu Kukui Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Puu Kukui Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000297
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Puu Kukui Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Hawaii schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Wailuku · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.3:1
- large classes for Hawaii
- 26.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Puu Kukui Elementary School has class sizes larger than 97% of Hawaii schools. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Puu Kukui Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Wailuku, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000297 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.3%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Puu Kukui Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Puu Kukui Elementary School
Puu Kukui Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Wailuku, Hawaii, enrolling 750 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.3:1 is larger than about 97% of Hawaii schools and 30% above the 14.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 750 puts it in the larger third of Hawaii schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 295 scored Hawaii schools.
Among 69 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Hawaii schools statewide, it ranks #53, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Two or More (27%) and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (21%) (diversity index 79/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 375 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Wailuku's public schools, it stands alongside Waihee Elementary School (572 students): Puu Kukui Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.3:1 vs 15.1:1).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Puu Kukui 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 Puu Kukui Elementary School compares
Puu Kukui 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 | 18.3:1 | ▲ 30% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.3% | ▼ 34% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 750 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
750
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% below the Hawaii average of 40.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 97% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.9%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 375 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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
Two or More 27.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 20.9%
Hispanic or Latino 20.7%
Asian 19.7%
White 11.2%
African American 0.1%
Largest group: Two or More at 27.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 78.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 78.8, Puu Kukui Elementary School is more mixed than 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 Puu Kukui 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 Puu Kukui Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Campbell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waipahu High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mililani High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Puu Kukui 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 Wailuku
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~750 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Puu Kukui Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Puu Kukui 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 Puu Kukui Elementary School
How many students attend Puu Kukui Elementary School?
Puu Kukui Elementary School has 750 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wailuku, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Puu Kukui Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Puu Kukui Elementary School is 18.3:1, which is 30% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Puu Kukui Elementary School?
26.3% of students at Puu Kukui Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Puu Kukui Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Puu Kukui Elementary School is Two or More at 27.3% of enrollment, in Wailuku, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 78.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Puu Kukui Elementary School?
Puu Kukui Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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 Puu Kukui Elementary School rank among schools in Wailuku?
By Resource Investment Index, Puu Kukui Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Wailuku, HI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wailuku on the city page.
Is Puu Kukui Elementary School a good school?
Puu Kukui Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% 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 Puu Kukui 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.