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Kapaa Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5
151st
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 204 Hawaii Elementary Schools
Better than 26% of Hawaii elementary schools
Summary

Kapaa Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Kapaa, Hawaii, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 824 students. The school 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.

Despite being part of a highly-ranked district, Kapaa Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Hawaii elementary schools, ranking between 134-168 out of 193-207 schools over the past 10 years. It has also maintained a 1-2 star rating out of 5 from SchoolDigger during this time period, indicating below-average performance compared to other Hawaii elementary schools. The school's student performance on standardized tests is significantly below the state average, with only 39.4% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, 31.59% in math, and 29.75% in science, compared to state averages of 50%, 48%, and 48%, respectively. Additionally, Kapaa Elementary School has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 36%, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Interestingly, the nearby schools in the same district, such as Kalaheo Elementary, Koloa Elementary, and Hanalei Elementary, consistently outperform Kapaa Elementary in academic achievement, with higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Math, and Science, as well as higher statewide rankings and ratings. The high chronic absenteeism rate and high percentage of students from low-income families (ranging from 57.33% to 63.62% over the past three school years) may be contributing factors to Kapaa Elementary School's lower academic performance, and addressing these underlying issues could be crucial in improving student outcomes.

844
Students ?
16.2
Student/teacher ratio ?
$15,371
Per pupil spending ?
56.2%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 4886 Kawaihau Rd
       Kapaa, HI  96746

(808) 821-4424

District: Hawaii Department of Education


Students who attend Kapaa Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Kapaa Middle School
High:    Kapaa High School
Racial breakdown:

Pacific Islander:
28.9%
Two or more races:
27.1%
Hispanic:
24.9%
more
 See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

 Compare Kapaa Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
Ranking trend: Improving — 17th percentile in 2015 → 26th in 2025
Strengths
Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2015
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!Near the bottom of Hawaii Department of Education's ranking
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school36%
151st of 204
Hawaii public elementary schools ?
Bottom 26%▲ up 9 pts since 2015
From bottom 17% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of Hawaii Elementary Schools →
SchoolDigger rating ?
142nd of 182Elementary Schools in the Hawaii Department of Education
1st 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202528.4151 of 20426.0%★☆☆☆☆
202428.8155 of 20725.1%★☆☆☆☆
202332.5134 of 19531.3%★★☆☆☆
202232.3136 of 19329.5%★★☆☆☆
202125.1147 of 19625.0%★☆☆☆☆
201921.6168 of 19614.3%★☆☆☆☆
201824.8158 of 19318.1%★☆☆☆☆
201725.8164 of 20720.8%★☆☆☆☆
201619.1166 of 19514.9%★☆☆☆☆
201522.4161 of 19417.0%★☆☆☆☆
201320.7175 of 19610.7%★☆☆☆☆
201221.5173 of 19511.3%★☆☆☆☆
201120.9166 of 19113.1%★☆☆☆☆
201018.4162 of 18311.5%★☆☆☆☆
200922.7161 of 19115.7%★☆☆☆☆
200820.4126 of 14613.7%★☆☆☆☆
200736.1134 of 19230.2%★★☆☆☆
200620.8172 of 19411.3%★☆☆☆☆

African American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
20240.0137 of 16014.4%☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202513.4117 of 1256.4%☆☆☆☆☆
202431.8165 of 20318.7%★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202553.063 of 12348.8%★★★☆☆
202436.3156 of 19821.2%★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202417.8136 of 16517.6%★☆☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202531.683 of 11024.5%★☆☆☆☆
202438.0137 of 19630.1%★★☆☆☆

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202527.3129 of 15315.7%★☆☆☆☆
202432.0164 of 20720.8%★☆☆☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankHawaii percentileRating
202516.6152 of 17111.1%★☆☆☆☆
202426.0172 of 20214.9%★☆☆☆☆
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 (2025)49th percentile+23 vs school
Pacific Islander (2025)25th percentile~ school
Hispanic (2024)18th percentile-8 vs school
Special Education (2025)16th percentile-10 vs school
African American (2024)14th percentile-11 vs school
White (2025)11th percentile-15 vs school
Asian (2025)6th percentile-20 vs school
By subject vs Hawaii (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts37%
Mathematics37%
Science35%

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Frequently Asked Questions about Kapaa Elementary School

Kapaa Elementary School ranks 151st of 204 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Students at Kapaa Elementary School are 29% Pacific Islander, 27% Two or more races, 25% Hispanic, 10% Asian, 9% White.

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

Middle : Kapaa Middle School
High : Kapaa High School

In the 2024-25 school year, 844 students attended Kapaa Elementary School.


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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.





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