Enrollment
286
Hawaii · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 150003000265 Charter school
West Hawaii Explorations Academy — Kailua-Kona, HI
Federal NCES profile for West Hawaii Explorations Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 52/100.
👥 Class size 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 30
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)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 14.3:1 Hawaii avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.0%
vs 40.0% Hawaii avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Hawaii Explorations Academy 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
West Hawaii Explorations Academy reports 286 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 23% below the Hawaii state mean of 14.3:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 31% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 31.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 23% below the Hawaii average and 40% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 28.0% 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 52/100 (C-), calculated from 3 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 West Hawaii Explorations Academy 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 | 11:1 | ▼ 23% | 14.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.0% | ▼ 23% | 40.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 23% | — | — |
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
31.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 23% 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
11:1
students per teacher
— 23% below state mean
Top 7% in Hawaii — lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
28.0%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 286 Top 23% in Hawaii — larger than 77% of 295 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 11:1 -23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 31.0% -23% vs state
NCES ID 150003000265
Student demographics
White 39.2%
Two or More 24.1%
Hispanic or Latino 17.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 12.6%
Asian 5.6%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 39.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 28.0%
In-school suspensions 6
Out-of-school suspensions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hawaii Department of Education, which includes West Hawaii Explorations Academy.
$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 Kailua-Kona
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 West Hawaii Explorations Academy
How many students attend West Hawaii Explorations Academy?
West Hawaii Explorations Academy has 286 students enrolled. It is a other school in Kailua-Kona, HI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Hawaii Explorations Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at West Hawaii Explorations Academy is 11:1, which is 23% lower than the Hawaii average of 14.3:1 and 31% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Hawaii Explorations Academy?
31.0% of students at West Hawaii Explorations Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Hawaii average of 40.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Hawaii Explorations Academy?
The largest demographic group at West Hawaii Explorations Academy is White at 39.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Kailua-Kona, HI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Hawaii Explorations Academy?
West Hawaii Explorations Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.