Summary
Keaau Middle School is a grades 6–8 school in Keaau, HI, serving 696 students as part of the Hawaii Department of Education. In 2025–2026 it ranks 63rd of 85 Hawaii middle schools — the 26th percentile, with a 1-star rating. That fits a longer-run pattern: over the past decade, the school has generally ranked in the 14th–27th percentile and received 1 star every year shown. Two nearby district schools rank higher: Hilo Intermediate School (grades 7–8, 560 students) is 22/85, 74th percentile, 4 stars, and Waiakea Intermediate School (grades 6–8, 857 students) is 32/85, 62nd percentile, 3 stars. Waiakea is the closest comparison by grade span.
Academically, Keaau trails both nearby schools most in English language arts and math. Its 2025–2026 ELA proficiency is 36%, 16–17 points below Hilo and Waiakea, while its math proficiency of 15% is 24 points below both. Science is closer: 32%, which is 17 points below Hilo but only 6 points below Waiakea. Chronic absenteeism is highest of the three at 37.0% in 2024–2025, compared with 30.0% at Hilo and 21.0% at Waiakea, and the free/reduced lunch rate of 71.84% is roughly 12 points above Hilo and 22 points above Waiakea. Resource measures look comparatively favorable: a student-teacher ratio of 13.9 and reported per-student spending of $17,491 (2018–2019, so the figure is dated). Recent trends show ELA rising from 31% to 36%, chronic absenteeism falling from 43.2% to 37.0%, and free/reduced lunch declining from 75.7% to 71.84%, while math moved from 12% to 15% but dipped in the latest year.
Subgroup rankings show uneven results. Pacific Islander students are the strongest reported subgroup at 42nd percentile, above the school's overall 26th percentile, and low socio-economic status and English language learner students rank at the 31st percentile. Special education students rank at the 13th percentile, down from 43rd in 2023–2024 and 34th in 2024–2025. The main takeaway for families: math is the largest and most persistent gap relative to nearby schools, attendance remains a significant challenge, and the recent improvements in ELA proficiency and attendance are encouraging signs to watch.
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