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Waiau Elementary School

Q: Is Waiau Elementary School a good school?

Waiau Elementary School ranks 75 th of 203 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

75^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 203 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of Hawaii elementary schools

Summary

Waiau Elementary School is a PK–6 public school in Pearl City, Hawaii, serving 498 students as part of the single statewide Hawaii Department of Education. About half the student body (49.6%) is economically disadvantaged by free and reduced lunch measure, and that share has risen each of the past three years. After roughly seven years as a steady 4-star school ranked near the 70th–81st percentile, Waiau slipped to 3 stars in 2023-24 — but it has now improved three years running (54th → 59th → 63rd percentile).

Achievement lands near the middle of the neighborhood. In 2025-26, Waiau posted 56% proficiency in ELA, 55% in math and 53% in science — 7th of 11 nearby schools in ELA and math and 6th in science. Nearby Momilani Elementary School (80/76/76) and Palisades Elementary School (77/72/72) are among the state's top performers, while Aiea Elementary School (28/20/17) is near the bottom. The encouraging trend: Waiau's gap from the local median shrank from 23 percentile points in 2023-24 to just 8 in 2025-26, meaning it is gaining on its neighbors. Proficiency rose in every subject over three years even as poverty rose, and Waiau outperforms Alvah A Scott Elementary School, Lehua Elementary School, and Waimalu Elementary School — schools with similar poverty levels — though Pearl City Elementary School, with nearly identical demographics, posts notably higher results (63/65/75).

Chronic absenteeism is the clearest weakness: 21% in 2024-25, fourth-highest among the 11 nearby schools and far above Momilani Elementary School's 3%, though down from 24.1% the year before. Where the school shines is in how it serves specific groups — low-income students rank in the 76th percentile, and special education students jumped from the 31st to the 64th percentile in 2025-26. Class sizes average 14.6 students, and spending was $16,633 per student in the only year reported, both mid-pack locally. Bear in mind the score data covers only four years and several measures rest on one or two years, so the direction is positive but the magnitude is uncertain.

498

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

49.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

98-450 Hookanike St
Pearl City, HI 96782

(808) 453-6530

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Students who attend Waiau Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Highlands Intermediate School
High:	Pearl City High School

Racial breakdown:

Two or more races:

28.9%

Pacific Islander:

28.5%

Hispanic:

25.3%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Waiau Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 71st percentile in 2016 → 63rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Hawaii median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

75^th of 203

Hawaii public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to top 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Hawaii Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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	68.1	75 of 203	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.6	83 of 204	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.7	96 of 207	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.4	51 of 195	73.8%	★★★★☆
2022	75.8	44 of 193	77.2%	★★★★☆
2021	72.4	50 of 196	74.5%	★★★★☆
2019	72.8	52 of 196	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	71.7	49 of 193	74.6%	★★★★☆
2017	86.2	40 of 207	80.7%	★★★★☆
2016	68.0	56 of 195	71.3%	★★★★☆
2015	50.4	97 of 194	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	46.3	118 of 196	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	54.2	91 of 195	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.0	77 of 191	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	67.0	53 of 183	71.0%	★★★★☆
2009	60.3	66 of 191	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	55.6	65 of 146	55.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	55.9	83 of 192	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	45.8	103 of 194	46.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	44.2	113 of 160	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	36.5	91 of 130	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	60.8	65 of 125	48.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	78.3	53 of 203	73.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	80.7	56 of 198	71.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	77.6	48 of 202	76.2%	★★★★☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	81.1	22 of 115	80.9%	★★★★☆
2025	61.7	44 of 110	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.4	84 of 196	57.1%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	61.1	56 of 155	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.1	108 of 153	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	42.5	143 of 207	30.9%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	57.9	85 of 173	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.7	57 of 171	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.0	104 of 202	48.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Pacific Islander (2026)81st percentile+18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)76th percentile+13 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)72nd percentile+18 vs school

Special Education (2026)64th percentile~ school

White (2026)51st percentile-12 vs school

Asian (2026)30th percentile-33 vs school

African American (2024)29th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Hawaii (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts56%

Mathematics55%

Science53%

5.0

2 ratings · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a student
Friday, October 14, 2016

i went to this school! Waiau Elementary has many opportunities for children. The teachers and staff there are absolutely amazing! To me, i think that Waiau Elementary is the one of the best elementary schools is Pearl city. Close Quote

Schools Near Waiau 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 (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 (2025)	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
Waiau Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	98-450 Hookanike St	Pearl City	96782	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 453-6530	498	34	14.6	49.6%	9 (1.8%)	4 (0.8%)	126 (25.3%)	73 (14.7%)	0 (0.0%)	142 (28.5%)	144 (28.9%)	68.1	75^th of 203 public elementary schools	63.1%		66.6	83^rd of 204 public elementary schools	59.3%	8	53.0	56.0	55.0	$16,633	$1,345	$15,288
Waimalu Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	98-825 Moanalua Rd	Aiea	96701	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 483-7210	312	26	12.2	50.0%	8 (2.6%)	2 (0.6%)	55 (17.6%)	109 (34.9%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (24.0%)	63 (20.2%)	29.1	150^th of 203 public elementary schools	26.1%		34.5	137^th of 204 public elementary schools	32.8%	13	17.0	44.0	41.0	$18,370	$1,613	$16,757
Pearl City Highlands School	Public	PK, KG-6	1419 Waimanalo Home Rd	Pearl City	96782	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 453-6470	515	32	16.3	26.2%	11 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (16.1%)	216 (41.9%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (12.4%)	141 (27.4%)	79.5	52^nd of 203 public elementary schools	74.4%		93.2	15^th of 204 public elementary schools	92.6%	37	45.0	76.0	73.0	$14,317	$841	$13,476
Pearl Ridge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	98-940 Moanalua Rd	Aiea	96701	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 483-7250	409	29	14.1	24.0%	21 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (17.4%)	143 (35.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (9.8%)	134 (32.8%)	76.5	59^th of 203 public elementary schools	70.9%		81.7	48^th of 204 public elementary schools	76.5%	11	47.0	68.0	66.0	$14,945	$904	$14,041
Momilani Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2130 Hookiekie St	Pearl City	96782	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 453-6444	412	24	17.5	16.5%	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (13.6%)	184 (44.7%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.0%)	134 (32.5%)	96.2	8^th of 203 public elementary schools	96.1%		97.9	3^rd of 204 public elementary schools	98.5%	5	76.0	80.0	76.0	$14,779	$976	$13,803
Pearl City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1090 Waimano Home Rd	Pearl City	96782	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 453-6455	396	32	12.3	50.3%	25 (6.3%)	14 (3.5%)	83 (21.0%)	114 (28.8%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (15.2%)	100 (25.3%)	87.2	29^th of 203 public elementary schools	85.7%		79.6	54^th of 204 public elementary schools	73.5%	25	75.0	63.0	65.0	$16,325	$1,300	$15,025
Lehua Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	791 Lehua Ave	Pearl City	96782	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 453-6490	248	20	12.4	49.2%	20 (8.1%)	9 (3.6%)	46 (18.5%)	44 (17.7%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (29.8%)	55 (22.2%)	62.2	88^th of 203 public elementary schools	56.7%		60.5	93^rd of 204 public elementary schools	54.4%	5	70.0	50.0	41.0	$18,424	$1,746	$16,678
Manana Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1147 Kumano St	Pearl City	96782	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 453-6430	270	21	12.8	34.8%	6 (2.2%)	1 (0.4%)	48 (17.8%)	114 (42.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (11.5%)	70 (25.9%)	88.8	25^th of 203 public elementary schools	87.7%		95.9	11^th of 204 public elementary schools	94.6%	14	67.0	69.0	67.0	$17,645	$1,611	$16,034
Alvah A Scott Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	98-1230 Moanalua Rd	Aiea	96701	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 483-7220	433	30	14.4	48.5%	24 (5.5%)	9 (2.1%)	79 (18.2%)	140 (32.3%)	1 (0.2%)	84 (19.4%)	96 (22.2%)	45.5	117^th of 203 public elementary schools	42.4%		48.3	110^th of 204 public elementary schools	46.1%	7	48.0	45.0	40.0	$15,974	$1,183	$14,791
Palisades Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2306 Auhuhu St	Pearl City	96782	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 453-6550	356	21	16.9	31.2%	12 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (23.6%)	79 (22.2%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (21.9%)	103 (28.9%)	94.1	12^th of 203 public elementary schools	94.1%		97.3	5^th of 204 public elementary schools	97.5%	7	72.0	77.0	72.0	$15,793	$1,100	$14,693

Frequently Asked Questions about Waiau Elementary School

Is Waiau Elementary School a good school?

Waiau Elementary School ranks 75^th of 203 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waiau Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 498 students attended Waiau Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Waiau Elementary School?

Students at Waiau Elementary School are 29% Two or more races, 29% Pacific Islander, 25% Hispanic, 15% Asian, 2% White.

What schools do graduates of Waiau Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Highlands Intermediate School
High : Pearl City High School

What district is Waiau Elementary School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

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Latest Hawaii data All new data »

2025–26 graduation ratesSep 19, 2026

2025–26 HSA & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresSep 19, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 18, 2025

2024–25 HSA & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresSep 18, 2025

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.