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Waiakeawaena Elementary School

Q: Is Waiakeawaena Elementary School a good school?

Waiakeawaena Elementary School ranks 79 th of 203 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

79^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 203 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Better than 61% of Hawaii elementary schools

Summary

Waiakeawaena Elementary School is a PK–5 school in Hilo, Hawaii, serving 669 students as part of the Hawaii Department of Education. In 2025–2026 it ranked 79th of 203 Hawaii schools, placing it in the 61st percentile with 3 stars — its highest percentile in the past decade, up from the 36th percentile in 2015–2016, though it dipped to the 45th percentile and 2 stars in 2024–2025 before rebounding.

Its latest scores are 55% proficient in English language arts, 54% in math and 52% in science, with chronic absenteeism at 18.0% (down from 22.7%), 51.42% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and a student-teacher ratio of 12.8. That puts it above most nearby schools and well ahead of its closest neighbor, Waiakea Elementary School about a mile away (ELA 42, Math 34, Science 51) — a 13-point ELA and 20-point math advantage. It trails the strongest local performers, Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School (ELA 74, Math 73, Science 62), Kaumana Elementary School (58/60/80) and Haaheo Elementary School (63/61), while beating Keaau Elementary School, Prince Jonah Kalanianaole Elementary School, Ke Kula o Nawahiokalaniopuu Iki - Laboratory PCS, Keaukaha Elementary School and Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School in reading and math. Its attendance also beats most peers' (DeSilva 12.0%, Kaumana 21.0%, Waiakea 25.0%, others 28–35%), and its 12.8 student-teacher ratio is lower than DeSilva's 18.3, Kaumana's 15.8 and Waiakea's 15.0.

The school's clearest strength is momentum: 2025–2026 was its best year in the data, with ELA rising from 49 to 55, math from 42 to 54 and science from 45 to 52. Science is still worth watching — its 52 is below its own 2023–2024 score of 56.52 and far below Kaumana's 80. The biggest concern is how well the school serves students with disabilities, where it ranked in the 11th–17th percentile of Hawaii schools over the last two years with 1-star ratings, while English language learners ranked above average at the 75th percentile in 2024–2025. Overall, this is a solid, improving Hilo school that outperforms most neighbors and is gaining on the area's top performers.

669

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$26,209

Per pupil spending ?

51.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

2420 Kilauea Ave
Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 981-7200

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Students who attend Waiakeawaena Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Waiakea Intermediate School
High:	Waiakea High School

Racial breakdown:

Two or more races:

34.1%

Hispanic:

27.2%

Pacific Islander:

23.2%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Waiakeawaena Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 36th percentile in 2016 → 61st in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 25 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Hawaii median (61st percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school54%

79^th of 203

Hawaii public elementary schools ?

Top 39%▲ up 25 pts since 2016

From bottom 36% (2016) to top 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Hawaii Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

78^th of 181Elementary 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
2026	66.0	79 of 203	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.8	112 of 204	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.6	90 of 207	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.9	81 of 195	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.5	101 of 193	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	40.9	110 of 196	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.2	86 of 196	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.6	89 of 193	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	50.2	115 of 207	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	38.9	125 of 195	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	43.4	115 of 194	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	47.9	109 of 196	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	40.6	131 of 195	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	40.7	121 of 191	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2010	46.8	110 of 183	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	47.4	111 of 191	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2008	47.7	86 of 146	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.1	101 of 192	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	58.1	65 of 194	66.5%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	97.6	1 of 160	99.4%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	69.9	45 of 130	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.5	52 of 125	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.2	54 of 203	73.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	82.7	31 of 123	74.8%	★★★★☆
2024	61.9	98 of 198	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	40.9	114 of 165	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	51.5	107 of 202	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	86.1	17 of 115	85.2%	★★★★☆
2025	43.9	69 of 110	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.9	124 of 196	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	28.1	129 of 155	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.2	136 of 153	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.8	141 of 207	31.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	52.9	96 of 173	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	17.1	150 of 171	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	51.4	119 of 202	41.1%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2024)99th percentile+43 vs school

Pacific Islander (2026)85th percentile+24 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)75th percentile+30 vs school

Asian (2026)65th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)47th percentile-14 vs school

White (2026)45th percentile-17 vs school

Hispanic (2024)31st percentile-26 vs school

Special Education (2026)17th percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs Hawaii (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts55%

Mathematics54%

Science52%

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, June 5, 2015

THE LEADERSHIP HAVE NO VISION OR VIRTUES TO INSTILL ON THE STUDENTS OVERALL. NOT ALL BUT MANY OF THE TEACHERS SEEM TO BE MORE INTERESTED IN THE JOB ASPECT OF TEACHING THAN IN TEACHING, AND ARE WORKING FOR RETIREMENT. THE SCHOOL FOLLOWS THE TRENDS OF THE WORLD, THE GENERAL TEACHER/STUDENT RATIO IS 1/25+, AND THE PARENTS WE MINGLE WITH ALL HAVE CONCERNS AND WISH THERE WAS A BETTER SCHOOL FOR THEIR CHILDREN. A COUPLE OF THE PARENTS ARE HAPPY TO SEE THEIR CHILDREN IN THE LOCAL BAND. WE HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE OUR CHILDREN OUT FOR ANOTHER SCHOOL. WE WANTED TO DO HOMESCHOOLING BUT THAT IS NOT AN OPTION FOR US AS WE WORK TOO HARD ALREADY.
WE MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THE STATE AND THE UNION HAVE ROBBED THE DUTY AND BLESSING FROM MOST OF OUR TEACHERS, AND TURNED IT INTO A JOB.
OUR CHILDREN KNOW MORE ABOUT FAIRY TALES AND NOVELS THAN ABOUT HISTORY AND REAL PEOPLE THAT COULD CHALLENGE AND BUILD MORALS, VALUES AND ETHICS TO YOUNG MINDS. WE NEVER TOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE SO MUCH WORRY ABOUT OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND INFLUENCES THAT EFFECT CHARACTER TURNING CHILDREN INTO CONSUMER HUMANOIDS AND DIGITAL NERDS, THAT LILFE IS ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY AND HAVING FUN. WE LIVE TWO BLOCKS FROM THIS SCHOOL, AND HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE OUR CHILDREN OUT OF Waiakeawaena Elementary School. IT IS VERY SAD.
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Schools Near Waiakeawaena Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				HSA Science (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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
Waiakeawaena Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2420 Kilauea Ave	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 981-7200	669	52	12.8	51.4%	23 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	182 (27.2%)	80 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	155 (23.2%)	228 (34.1%)	66	79^th of 203 public elementary schools	61.1%		46.8	112^th of 204 public elementary schools	45.1%	33	52.0	55.0	54.0	$26,209	$2,562	$23,647
Waiakea Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	180 W Puainako St	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 981-7215	706	47	15.0	53.1%	24 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	166 (23.5%)	104 (14.7%)	0 (0.0%)	208 (29.5%)	204 (28.9%)	41.3	128^th of 203 public elementary schools	36.9%		42.3	120^th of 204 public elementary schools	41.2%	8	51.0	42.0	34.0	$24,167	$2,430	$21,737
Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	966 Kilauea Ave	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 974-4160	354	25	14.1	65.0%	14 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (22.9%)	42 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	129 (36.4%)	88 (24.9%)	20.7	172^nd of 203 public elementary schools	15.3%		9.9	191^st of 204 public elementary schools	6.4%	19	38.0	29.0	26.0	$27,947	$3,147	$24,800
Hilo Union Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	506 Waianuenue Ave	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 933-0900	449	38	11.9	68.4%	31 (6.9%)	1 (0.2%)	134 (29.8%)	35 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	165 (36.7%)	83 (18.5%)	61.2	90^th of 203 public elementary schools	55.7%		41.9	122^nd of 204 public elementary schools	40.2%	32	49.0	58.0	46.0	$29,674	$2,849	$26,825
Keaukaha Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	240 Desha Ave	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 974-4181	341	28	12.1	68.3%	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (26.7%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	201 (58.9%)	41 (12.0%)	42.7	124^th of 203 public elementary schools	38.9%		36.9	130^th of 204 public elementary schools	36.3%	6	43.0	46.0	40.0	$28,691	$3,319	$25,372
Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	278 Ainako Ave	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 974-4855	422	23	18.3	26.1%	49 (11.6%)	0 (0.0%)	96 (22.7%)	60 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (15.6%)	151 (35.8%)	89.8	24^th of 203 public elementary schools	88.2%		93.2	14^th of 204 public elementary schools	93.1%	10	62.0	74.0	73.0	$24,276	$2,179	$22,097
Kaumana Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1710 Kaumana Dr	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 974-4190	238	15	15.8	51.7%	17 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (37.8%)	12 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (17.2%)	78 (32.8%)	82.5	45^th of 203 public elementary schools	77.8%		88.2	28^th of 204 public elementary schools	86.3%	17	80.0	58.0	60.0	$25,420	$2,394	$23,026
Haaheo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	121 Haaheo Rd	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 974-4111	122	11	11.0	50.8%	22 (18.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (25.4%)	13 (10.7%)	1 (0.8%)	28 (23.0%)	27 (22.1%)	81.3	50^th of 203 public elementary schools	75.4%		78	55^th of 204 public elementary schools	73.0%	5		63.0	61.0	$32,737	$2,109	$30,628
Keaau Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	16-680 Keaau-Pahoa Rd	Keaau	96749	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 982-4210	829	56	14.8	62.6%	59 (7.1%)	7 (0.8%)	239 (28.8%)	106 (12.8%)	2 (0.2%)	236 (28.5%)	180 (21.7%)	25.9	164^th of 203 public elementary schools	19.2%		25	161^st of 204 public elementary schools	21.1%	3	27.0	41.0	35.0	$26,640	$3,126	$23,514
Ke Kula o Nawahiokalaniopuu Iki - Laboratory PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	16-120 Opukahaia St	Keaau	96749	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 982-4260	451	32	14.3	54.8%	12 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (19.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	295 (65.4%)	54 (12.0%)	6.9	198^th of 203 public elementary schools	2.5%		40.2	127^th of 204 public elementary schools	37.7%	71	21.0	22.0	16.0	$21,737	$7,401	$14,336

Frequently Asked Questions about Waiakeawaena Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Waiakeawaena Elementary School?

Students at Waiakeawaena Elementary School are 34% Two or more races, 27% Hispanic, 23% Pacific Islander, 12% Asian, 3% White.

How many students attend Waiakeawaena Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 669 students attended Waiakeawaena Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Waiakeawaena Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Waiakea Intermediate School
High : Waiakea High School

Is Waiakeawaena Elementary School a good school?

Waiakeawaena Elementary School ranks 79^th of 203 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Waiakeawaena Elementary School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

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Latest Hawaii data All new data »

2025–26 attendance dataNewNov 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2024–25 school spending dataNewNov 6, 2026

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)Oct 19, 2026

2025–26 graduation ratesSep 19, 2026

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.