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Paia Elementary School

Q: Is Paia Elementary School a good school?

Paia Elementary School ranks 103 rd of 204 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

103^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 204 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of Hawaii elementary schools

Summary

Paia Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 423 students in grades PK-5 in Paia, Hawaii. It 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.

Paia Elementary School has some notable strengths, particularly in serving certain student populations. It performs exceptionally well for Pacific Islander and English Language Learner students, ranking 18th and 3rd out of Hawaii elementary schools, respectively. Additionally, the school's 4th-grade students outperform the state average in both English Language Arts (80% vs. 50%) and Math (80% vs. 48%) on the Smarter Balanced Assessments. However, the school faces challenges with chronic absenteeism, which has increased from 23.6% to 26.0% in recent years, higher than the nearby schools.

Compared to other elementary schools in the area, Paia Elementary School's performance is mixed. While it excels in certain areas, it lags behind schools like Pomaikai Elementary and Puu Kukui Elementary in overall academic achievement and school rankings. Addressing the challenges with chronic absenteeism and maintaining consistent performance could help Paia Elementary School provide a more well-rounded education for its students.

406

Students ?

18.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,717

Per pupil spending ?

61.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

955 Baldwin Ave
Paia, HI 96779

(808) 579-2100

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Students who attend Paia Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Samuel Enoka Kalama Intermediate School
High:	King Kekaulike High School

Racial breakdown:

Pacific Islander:

49.8%

Hispanic:

30.5%

Two or more races:

12.3%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Paia Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 38th percentile in 2013 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

103^rd of 204

Hawaii public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▲ up 26 pts since 2015

From bottom 24% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Hawaii Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

100^th 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	51.7	103 of 204	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	34.7	145 of 207	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.0	113 of 195	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.6	127 of 196	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.4	136 of 196	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	27.7	154 of 193	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	31.1	159 of 207	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	22.6	160 of 195	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	27.6	148 of 194	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	45.4	122 of 196	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	29.5	156 of 195	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	59.6	71 of 191	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	44.7	115 of 183	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	48.4	106 of 191	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	53.2	90 of 192	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	77.6	31 of 194	84.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	84.2	38 of 160	76.3%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	2.7	200 of 203	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	99.9	3 of 198	98.5%	★★★★★

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	93.7	18 of 196	90.8%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	29.3	126 of 153	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.1	131 of 207	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	39.1	118 of 171	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.7	143 of 202	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

English Language Learner (2024)98th percentile+69 vs school

Pacific Islander (2024)91st percentile+61 vs school

African American (2024)76th percentile+46 vs school

White (2025)31st percentile-19 vs school

Special Education (2025)18th percentile-32 vs school

Asian (2024)1st percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Hawaii (2024-2025) ?

Science72%

English Language Arts45%

Mathematics32%

★

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Schools Near Paia 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
Paia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	955 Baldwin Ave	Paia	96779	Maui County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 579-2100	406	22	18.4	61.8%	21 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	124 (30.5%)	8 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	202 (49.8%)	50 (12.3%)	51.7	103^rd of 204 public elementary schools	49.5%		34.7	145^th of 207 public elementary schools	30.0%	42	72.0	45.0	32.0	$14,717	$1,314	$13,403
Haiku Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	105 Pauwela Rd	Haiku	96708	Maui County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 575-3000	336	22	15.2	53.0%	150 (44.6%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (21.7%)	4 (1.2%)	1 (0.3%)	45 (13.4%)	63 (18.8%)	46.7	113^th of 204 public elementary schools	44.6%		52.8	108^th of 207 public elementary schools	47.8%	5	33.0	51.0	51.0	$16,016	$1,511	$14,505
Pukalani Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2945 Iolani St	Makawao	96768	Maui County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 573-8760	455	35	13.0	43.7%	51 (11.2%)	0 (0.0%)	96 (21.1%)	48 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	116 (25.5%)	144 (31.6%)	72.1	70^th of 204 public elementary schools	65.7%		70.6	78^th of 207 public elementary schools	62.3%	8	57.0	58.0	58.0	$16,960	$1,640	$15,320
Makawao Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3542 Baldwin Ave	Makawao	96768	Maui County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 573-8770	463	34	13.6	51.6%	97 (21.0%)	1 (0.2%)	125 (27.0%)	20 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	107 (23.1%)	113 (24.4%)	67.6	79^th of 204 public elementary schools	61.3%		48.5	118^th of 207 public elementary schools	43.0%	39	67.0	49.0	54.0	$17,005	$1,607	$15,398
Kahului Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	410 S Hina Ave	Kahului	96732	Maui County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 873-3055	795	58	13.7	59.6%	17 (2.1%)	3 (0.4%)	124 (15.6%)	424 (53.3%)	0 (0.0%)	186 (23.4%)	41 (5.2%)	27.2	153^rd of 204 public elementary schools	25.0%		35.5	144^th of 207 public elementary schools	30.4%	9	38.0	36.0	33.0	$14,823	$1,257	$13,566
Lihikai Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	335 S Papa Ave	Kahului	96732	Maui County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 873-3033	632	43	14.6	61.6%	11 (1.7%)	3 (0.5%)	105 (16.6%)	273 (43.2%)	0 (0.0%)	169 (26.7%)	71 (11.2%)	40.5	126^th of 204 public elementary schools	38.2%		41	134^th of 207 public elementary schools	35.3%	8	35.0	45.0	47.0	$16,212	$1,580	$14,632
Pomaikai Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4650 S Kamehameha Ave	Kahului	96732	Maui County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 876-7610	545	37	14.7	25.9%	64 (11.7%)	1 (0.2%)	116 (21.3%)	126 (23.1%)	0 (0.0%)	68 (12.5%)	170 (31.2%)	83.5	41^st of 204 public elementary schools	79.9%		83.4	43^rd of 207 public elementary schools	79.2%	2	73.0	63.0	60.0	$15,889	$1,504	$14,385
Wailuku Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	355 S High St	Wailuku	96793	Maui County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 984-5622	550	37	14.8	59.8%	20 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	137 (24.9%)	88 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	202 (36.7%)	103 (18.7%)	21.6	163^rd of 204 public elementary schools	20.1%		18	180^th of 207 public elementary schools	13.0%	17	35.0	33.0	29.0	$16,965	$1,443	$15,522
Puu Kukui Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3700 Kehalani Mauka Parkway	Wailuku	96793	Maui County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 727-3000	750	47	15.9	33.6%	84 (11.2%)	1 (0.1%)	155 (20.7%)	148 (19.7%)	0 (0.0%)	157 (20.9%)	205 (27.3%)	75.6	63^rd of 204 public elementary schools	69.1%		58.2	94^th of 207 public elementary schools	54.6%	31	55.0	64.0	59.0	$14,352	$805	$13,547
Kula Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5000 Kula Hwy	Kula	96790	Maui County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 876-7610	339	24	14.1	49.3%	73 (21.5%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (20.4%)	13 (3.8%)	1 (0.3%)	86 (25.4%)	97 (28.6%)	54.4	97^th of 204 public elementary schools	52.5%		63.5	86^th of 207 public elementary schools	58.5%	11	56.0	50.0	41.0	$15,886	$1,087	$14,799

Frequently Asked Questions about Paia Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Paia Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Samuel Enoka Kalama Intermediate School
High : King Kekaulike High School

Is Paia Elementary School a good school?

Paia Elementary School ranks 103^rd of 204 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Paia Elementary School?

Students at Paia Elementary School are 50% Pacific Islander, 31% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 5% White, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Paia Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 406 students attended Paia Elementary School.

What district is Paia Elementary School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

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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.