Enrollment
498
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pearl City, HI
Waiau Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Waiau Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 21/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 150003000109
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waiau Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median.
- #7 of 7
- schools in Pearl City · Resource Index
- 21
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 33.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Waiau Elementary School has class sizes near the Hawaii median. Computed live against every Hawaii school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waiau Elementary School ranks #7 of 7 schools in Pearl City, HI.
School address
District: Hawaii Department of Education · Hawaii
NCES ID 150003000109 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.1:1 Hawaii avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.0%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waiau Elementary School compares with Hawaii and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waiau Elementary School
Waiau Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Pearl City, Hawaii, enrolling 498 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Hawaii schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 498 students, its enrollment sits close to the Hawaii median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 295 Hawaii schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 77 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Hawaii schools statewide, it ranks #70, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Two or More (29%) and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (29%) (diversity index 75/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 498 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Pearl City's public schools, it stands alongside Pearl City Highlands School (515 students): Waiau Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 15.6:1).
Hawaii Department of Education also operates James Campbell High School (2,890 students) and Waipahu High School (2,538 students) alongside Waiau 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 Waiau Elementary School compares
Waiau 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 | 14.6:1 | ▲ 4% | 14.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.0% | ▼ 18% | 40.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 498 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
498
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 61% in Hawaii - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.7%
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 498 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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
Two or More 28.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 28.5%
Hispanic or Latino 25.3%
Asian 14.7%
White 1.8%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: Two or More at 28.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 74.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 74.9, Waiau Elementary School is more mixed than the Hawaii school average of 69.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes Waiau 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 Waiau Elementary 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 | 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 | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Moanalua High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waiau 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 Pearl City
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pearl City Highlands School
Standard public school
515 students 15.6:1 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 (~498 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waiau Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Waiau 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 Waiau Elementary School
How many students attend Waiau Elementary School?
Waiau Elementary School has 498 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pearl City, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waiau Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Waiau Elementary School is 14.6:1, which is 4% higher than the Hawaii average of 14.1:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waiau Elementary School?
33.0% of students at Waiau Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waiau Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Waiau Elementary School is Two or More at 28.9% of enrollment, in Pearl City, HI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 74.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waiau Elementary School?
Waiau Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 21/100 (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 Waiau Elementary School rank among schools in Pearl City?
By Resource Investment Index, Waiau Elementary School ranks #7 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 Waiau Elementary School a good school?
Waiau Elementary School earns 21/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Hawaii median. 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 Waiau 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.