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Kaala Elementary School

Q: Is Kaala Elementary School a good school?

Kaala Elementary School ranks 95 th of 204 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

95^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 204 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Better than 53% of Hawaii elementary schools

Summary

Kaala Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Wahiawa, Hawaii, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 383 students. The school is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district, which is ranked 1 out of 1 in the state and rated 5 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Over the past several years, Kaala Elementary School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from a rank of 73 out of 207 Hawaii elementary schools in 2016-2017 (rated 3 stars) to a rank of 95 out of 204 in 2024-2025 (rated 3 stars). The school's performance is generally lower than the nearby Iliahi Elementary, Kipapa Elementary, and Mililani Mauka Elementary schools, which have higher statewide rankings, better test scores, and lower chronic absenteeism rates. Kaala Elementary School's high chronic absenteeism rate of 28.0% in 2024-2025 is also a concern, as it is significantly higher than the nearby schools.

While Kaala Elementary School ranks highly for Asian and Pacific Islander students, it ranks lower for Hispanic students and special education students, suggesting the school may need to focus on addressing the needs of these underperforming subgroups. Additionally, the school's test scores are generally below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. The school's high poverty rates, with 69.19% to 74.64% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch over the past few years, may be a contributing factor to these challenges, and the district may need to consider targeted interventions and support to help improve the school's academic outcomes.

381

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,745

Per pupil spending ?

71.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

130 California Ave
Wahiawa, HI 96786

(808) 622-6366

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Students who attend Kaala Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Wahiawa Middle School
High:	Leilehua High School

Racial breakdown:

Pacific Islander:

40.4%

Hispanic:

25.2%

Asian:

17.3%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Kaala Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 37th percentile in 2015 → 53rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Hawaii median (53rd percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school51%

95^th of 204

Hawaii public elementary schools ?

Top 47%▲ up 16 pts since 2015

From bottom 37% (2015) to top 47% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Hawaii Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

92^nd of 182Elementary Schools in the Hawaii Department of Education

1^st of 1Hawaii Department of Education among Hawaii districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	58.4	95 of 204	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.1	106 of 207	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.7	116 of 195	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.9	134 of 193	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.6	130 of 196	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.3	101 of 196	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	46.2	104 of 193	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2017	67.0	73 of 207	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.6	93 of 195	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	39.1	122 of 194	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	48.7	105 of 196	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	57.2	82 of 195	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	39.0	129 of 191	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	46.4	112 of 183	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	57.1	78 of 191	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	47.4	87 of 146	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	36.9	133 of 192	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	15.1	180 of 194	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	94.4	2 of 125	98.4%	★★★★★
2024	60.5	107 of 203	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	75.8	39 of 123	68.3%	★★★★☆
2024	78.7	61 of 198	69.2%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	0.0	138 of 165	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	69.9	34 of 110	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.3	89 of 196	54.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	42.4	101 of 153	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.5	117 of 207	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	60.9	77 of 171	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.3	71 of 202	64.9%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Asian (2025)98th percentile+45 vs school

Pacific Islander (2025)69th percentile+16 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)68th percentile+15 vs school

White (2025)55th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)34th percentile-19 vs school

Hispanic (2024)16th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs Hawaii (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics54%

English Language Arts51%

Science48%

3.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, December 12, 2010

Ka'ala is focused on student academic achievement and addressing the needs of all students. Close Quote

Schools Near Kaala Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				HSA Science (2025)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	HSA Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kaala Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	130 California Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6366	381	32	11.9	71.9%	6 (1.6%)	3 (0.8%)	96 (25.2%)	66 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	154 (40.4%)	56 (14.7%)	58.4	95^th of 204 public elementary schools	53.4%		54.1	106^th of 207 public elementary schools	48.8%	11	48.0	51.0	54.0	$17,745	$1,753	$15,992
Major Sheldon Wheeler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Wheeler Army Airfield	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6400	598	41	14.7	43.8%	214 (35.8%)	76 (12.7%)	177 (29.6%)	34 (5.7%)	2 (0.3%)	24 (4.0%)	71 (11.9%)	73.3	68^th of 204 public elementary schools	66.7%		80.4	52^nd of 207 public elementary schools	74.9%	16	49.0	64.0	63.0	$15,947	$1,187	$14,760
Daniel K Inouye Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	Waianae & Ayres Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 622-6380	591	42	14.0	28.6%	262 (44.3%)	69 (11.7%)	136 (23.0%)	26 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.0%)	80 (13.5%)	54.3	99^th of 204 public elementary schools	51.5%		48.3	119^th of 207 public elementary schools	42.5%	20	52.0	48.0	47.0	$15,984	$1,114	$14,870
Wahiawa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1402 Glen Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6393	429	34	12.6	59.4%	32 (7.5%)	11 (2.6%)	101 (23.5%)	57 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	135 (31.5%)	93 (21.7%)	51.3	105^th of 204 public elementary schools	48.5%		49.4	113^th of 207 public elementary schools	45.4%	8	42.0	49.0	52.0	$17,407	$1,308	$16,099
Kamalani Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	1403 California Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 203-2992	110	9	12.2	40.9%	18 (16.4%)	1 (0.9%)	44 (40.0%)	7 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (19.1%)	19 (17.3%)	11.3	185^th of 204 public elementary schools	9.3%		18.1	178^th of 207 public elementary schools	14.0%	7	18.0	38.0	15.0	$8,212	$1,819	$6,393
Helemano Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 Ihi Ihi Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6336	417	37	11.2	59.2%	30 (7.2%)	15 (3.6%)	95 (22.8%)	115 (27.6%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (13.7%)	105 (25.2%)	84.2	38^th of 204 public elementary schools	81.4%		76.7	64^th of 207 public elementary schools	69.1%	26	60.0	71.0	64.0	$17,669	$1,595	$16,074
Sergeant Samuel K Solomon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Schofield Barracks	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 624-9500	681	54	12.6	52.4%	206 (30.2%)	84 (12.3%)	237 (34.8%)	24 (3.5%)	2 (0.3%)	43 (6.3%)	85 (12.5%)	41.5	123^rd of 204 public elementary schools	39.7%		48.8	115^th of 207 public elementary schools	44.4%	8	40.0	50.0	38.0	$16,452	$1,545	$14,907
Iliahi Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2035 California Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6411	313	24	13.0	53.0%	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (26.8%)	52 (16.6%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (22.4%)	101 (32.3%)	80.5	51^st of 204 public elementary schools	75.0%		80.6	51^st of 207 public elementary schools	75.4%		58.0	64.0	67.0	$17,456	$1,564	$15,892
Kipapa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	95-076 Kipapa Dr	Mililani	96789	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 627-7322	473	36	13.1	47.6%	18 (3.8%)	2 (0.4%)	111 (23.5%)	89 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	72 (15.2%)	181 (38.3%)	75.2	65^th of 204 public elementary schools	68.1%		86.5	36^th of 207 public elementary schools	82.6%	29	57.0	63.0	57.0	$17,333	$1,364	$15,969
Mililani Mauka Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	95-1111 Makaikai St	Mililani	96789	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 626-3350	623	43	14.4	17.0%	31 (5.0%)	8 (1.3%)	109 (17.5%)	184 (29.5%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (8.7%)	237 (38.0%)	96.8	6^th of 204 public elementary schools	97.1%		97.5	3^rd of 207 public elementary schools	98.6%	3	77.0	82.0	83.0	$16,448	$1,084	$15,364

Frequently Asked Questions about Kaala Elementary School

What district is Kaala Elementary School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

Is Kaala Elementary School a good school?

Kaala Elementary School ranks 95^th of 204 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Kaala Elementary School?

Students at Kaala Elementary School are 40% Pacific Islander, 25% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 15% Two or more races, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of Kaala Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Kaala Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Wahiawa Middle School
High : Leilehua High School

How many students attend Kaala Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 381 students attended Kaala Elementary School.

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Schools in Wahiawa, HI

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Hawaii State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.