Kaunakakai Elementary School

Kaunakakai Elementary School is a PK–6 public school at 30 Ailoa St. in Kaunakakai on the island of Molokai, serving 282 students within the statewide Hawaii Department of Education. Because Hawaii operates as a single statewide district, the "rank 1 of 1, 5 stars" district label is a structural quirk rather than a competitive distinction. At 282 students, Kaunakakai is the largest elementary school in its local Molokai comparison group — roughly 3.5 times the size of Kilohana Elementary School and about 5.8 times the size of Maunaloa Elementary School, which means its results are less likely to swing on small cohorts.

Among its Molokai peers, Kaunakakai is the strongest performer and the only one holding a 2-star rating, sitting around the low-30s percentile statewide. In 2024–25 it led the group in all three tested subjects (44% ELA, 40% math, 30% science). In 2025–26 it tied Kualapuu School - Public Conversion Charter for the math lead at 45% — the highest single subject score in the school's posted record — while ELA slipped to 38%. Math and ELA have effectively flipped: math is now the clear strength and ELA is the subject needing attention. The school does this with the largest classes in its peer group, a 14.8-to-1 student–teacher ratio well above its neighbors, and mid-pack per-pupil spending.

Two areas are worth watching. Chronic absenteeism is Kaunakakai's clearest weakness at 37.0%, the highest among its peers and up from 33.8% the year before. And while students from lower-income families rank above the school's own overall standing, English language learners and special education students trail well behind, with special education falling to the 12th percentile in 2024–25. Statewide standing has held at 2 stars and the 29th–38th percentile for five straight years.