Enrollment
706
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 150003000051
Waiakea Elementary School — Hilo, HI
Federal NCES profile for Waiakea Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 25/100.
👥 Class size 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 14.3:1 Hawaii avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.7%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waiakea Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Waiakea Elementary School reports 706 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 53.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% above the Hawaii state mean of 14.3:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 6% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 47.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 19% above the Hawaii average and 8% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 353 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 54.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Hawaii Department of Education spends $19,381 per pupil district-wide, above the Hawaii average of $19,381 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 0.8% from local sources (property taxes), 84.7% from the state, and 14.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Waiakea Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Hawaii state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Hawaii | Hawaii avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▲ 4% | 14.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.7% | ▲ 19% | 40.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 706 | top 75% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
47.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 19% 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
14.9:1
students per teacher
— 4% above state mean
Top 62% in Hawaii — lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
54.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,381
per pupil, district-wide
— above Hawaii avg of $19,381
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 353 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 706 Top 75% in Hawaii — larger than 25% of 295 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 53.0
Students per teacher 14.9:1 +4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 47.7% +19% vs state
NCES ID 150003000051
Student demographics
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 29.5%
Two or More 28.9%
Hispanic or Latino 23.5%
Asian 14.7%
White 3.4%
Largest group: Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 29.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 353:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 54.1%
In-school suspensions 22
Out-of-school suspensions 29
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes Waiakea Elementary School.
$19,381
Per student
+0%
vs Hawaii
Avg $19,381
-1%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,890
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 2,538
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 2,382
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 2,094
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 1,966
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
Similar other schools in Hilo
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Waiakeawaena Elementary School
Standard public school
669 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Hilo Union Elementary School
Standard public school
449 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School
Standard public school
422 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School
Standard public school
354 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Connections - New Century Pcs
Standard public school
352 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Keaukaha Elementary School
Standard public school
341 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Waiakea Elementary School
How many students attend Waiakea Elementary School?
Waiakea Elementary School has 706 students enrolled. It is a other school in Hilo, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waiakea Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waiakea Elementary School is 14.9:1, which is 4% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.3:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waiakea Elementary School?
47.7% of students at Waiakea Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waiakea Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Waiakea Elementary School is Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander at 29.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Hilo, HI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waiakea Elementary School?
Waiakea Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.