Kaaawa Elementary School

Kaaawa Elementary School is a small PK–6 public school on the rural windward coast of Oahu at 51-296 Kamehameha Hwy, serving 129 students as part of the single statewide Hawaii Department of Education district. It ranks in the 68th percentile of Hawaii elementary schools in 2025–26 (3 stars), down modestly from 4-star showings in 2023–24 and 2024–25 — but that dip is largely relative: ELA slipped only one point (65 to 64) and math actually rose (54 to 55) while other schools moved up around it. Over the past decade the school has climbed from the middle of the state pack (as low as the 46th percentile in 2020–21) into the consistent top third.

It is the clear standout in its immediate neighborhood. The four closest schools — Waiahole (4.5 miles), Hauula (5.6), Kahaluu (6.3) and Ahuimanu (7.9) — all land in the bottom 40% of the state, and the school's 68th percentile is 29 points ahead of the best of them. The nearest school outperforming it is Laie (80th percentile), 8.6 miles away. Notably, the school's academics outrun its economics: 40.3% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, below the group median of 52.2% and far below its coastal neighbors (55–73%), yet it posts the third-highest ELA (64) and fourth-highest math (55) among the eleven schools compared. Kapunahala (89th percentile, 45% FRPL) is the fairest high-performing benchmark; Mililani Ike (100th percentile) sits 10 miles away across the Ko'olau range with a 10.5% low-income rate — a fundamentally different community.

Two things to watch: a 9-point ELA-over-math gap (64 vs. 55), making math the relative soft spot, and chronic absenteeism, which rose from 15.1% to 21.0% in a single year. Science scores (79% to 50%) deserve caution, since only one grade is tested and a handful of students can swing the result. The school's real strengths are how well it serves specific groups — English learners ranked in the top 2% statewide — and its stability. A realistic target is consistent 80th–90th percentile.