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Waialua Elementary School

Q: Is Waialua Elementary School a good school?

Waialua Elementary School ranks 51 st of 203 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

51^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 203 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Better than 75% of Hawaii elementary schools

Summary

Waialua Elementary School is a PK–6 public school in Waialua, HI, serving 413 students as part of the Hawaii Department of Education. It is a consistently strong statewide performer: in 2025–2026 it ranked 51st of 203 Hawaii elementary schools, in the 75th percentile with 4 stars. Proficiency was 65% in English language arts, 60% in math, and 58% in science. Recent years show some plateauing after higher rankings in the late 2010s, but the school remains in the top quartile. Attendance and class size are improving: chronic absenteeism fell from 24.9% to 19.0%, and the student-teacher ratio improved from 15.5 to 13.3. The free/reduced-lunch rate rose to 50.36% in 2024–2025, meaning the school is maintaining strong results while serving a growing share of students from lower-income families.

Compared with nearby schools, Waialua stands out. Its closest neighbor, Haleiwa Elementary School (0.8 miles away), has lower 2025–2026 proficiency in ELA (54%), math (52%), and science (50%) and a lower statewide rank percentile (58 vs. 75). Helemano Elementary School is Waialua’s closest academic peer: similar enrollment, a higher rank percentile (81 vs. 75), and much higher science proficiency (70% vs. 58%), though Waialua slightly edges it in ELA (65% vs. 64%) and ties in math (60% vs. 60%). Sunset Beach Elementary School posts higher ELA (69%) and math (62%) but serves a much lower-poverty population (28.97% free/reduced lunch vs. Waialua’s 50.36%) and has higher chronic absenteeism (28.0% vs. 19.0%). Even Makaha Elementary School, with similar enrollment but a lower student-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending, has far lower proficiency and much higher absenteeism, showing that Waialua’s results are strong in context.

For parents, the main strengths are stable ELA performance, improving attendance, smaller classes, and strong effectiveness for low-income students (81st percentile in 2025–2026). The main opportunities are to stabilize math and science, which have fluctuated more than ELA, and to address uneven effectiveness rankings across student groups in recent years. Overall, Waialua Elementary appears to be one of the stronger public elementary options in the Waialua/Haleiwa area and a solid top-quartile performer statewide.

413

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

50.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

67-020 Waialua Beach Rd
Waialua, HI 96791

(808) 637-8228

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Students who attend Waialua Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Waialua High & Intermediate School

Racial breakdown:

White:

32.2%

Hispanic:

24.0%

Two or more races:

20.6%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Waialua Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 76th percentile in 2016 → 75th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Hawaii median (75th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

51^st of 203

Hawaii public elementary schools ?

Top 25%▼ down 2 pts since 2016

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	80.0	51 of 203	74.9%	★★★★☆
2025	80.2	52 of 204	74.5%	★★★★☆
2024	83.8	42 of 207	79.7%	★★★★☆
2023	69.5	59 of 195	69.7%	★★★★☆
2022	82.4	34 of 193	82.4%	★★★★☆
2021	85.7	28 of 196	85.7%	★★★★☆
2019	88.0	17 of 196	91.3%	★★★★★
2018	87.0	20 of 193	89.6%	★★★★★
2017	88.1	31 of 207	85.0%	★★★★☆
2016	71.9	46 of 195	76.4%	★★★★☆
2015	77.2	39 of 194	79.9%	★★★★☆
2013	89.5	10 of 196	94.9%	★★★★★
2012	77.1	35 of 195	82.1%	★★★★☆
2011	76.0	37 of 191	80.6%	★★★★☆
2010	80.3	26 of 183	85.8%	★★★★☆
2009	77.1	32 of 191	83.2%	★★★★☆
2008	80.4	19 of 146	87.0%	★★★★☆
2007	82.7	24 of 192	87.5%	★★★★☆
2006	70.7	39 of 194	79.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	95.6	3 of 160	98.1%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	21.4	111 of 130	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.6	100 of 125	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	66.1	89 of 203	56.2%	★★★☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	70.3	42 of 116	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.7	60 of 123	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.4	72 of 198	63.6%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	57.5	87 of 165	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	82.9	39 of 202	80.7%	★★★★☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	74.6	60 of 196	69.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	61.1	56 of 155	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.7	79 of 153	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.0	95 of 207	54.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	80.5	35 of 173	79.8%	★★★★☆
2025	80.1	38 of 171	77.8%	★★★★☆
2024	87.4	20 of 202	90.1%	★★★★★

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)98th percentile+18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)81st percentile+6 vs school

White (2026)80th percentile+5 vs school

Pacific Islander (2024)69th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2026)64th percentile-11 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)64th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2024)47th percentile-32 vs school

Asian (2026)15th percentile-60 vs school

By subject vs Hawaii (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts65%

Mathematics60%

Science58%

4.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★1

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, May 25, 2014

It is refreshing to find a school with high standards that does not buy into the "everybody gets a trophy" mindset. What is more important, getting a solid education and learning how to function in the real world, or being protected from any negative feedback. In the long run, children are more happy when they are pushed and held to high standards. I know mine are. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, October 15, 2012

My daughter had been attending for three years and If I could afford private school I would jump at the chance! The kids at WES are awesome, school is clean, great curriculum, BUT, the teachers are incredibly disrespectful to the kids. They wil yell, scream, reprimand, and shame them. Just this morning my daughters teacher said to the class (3rd grade) and I quote, " I am so irritated at the dumb answers you guys are giving me this morning!" We are planning to move in order to enroll our daughter in another school, we've had enough. Close Quote

Schools Near Waialua 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
Waialua Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	67-020 Waialua Beach Rd	Waialua	96791	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 637-8228	413	31	13.3	50.4%	133 (32.2%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (24.0%)	53 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (10.4%)	85 (20.6%)	80	51^st of 203 public elementary schools	74.9%		80.2	52^nd of 204 public elementary schools	74.5%	1	58.0	65.0	60.0	$16,127	$1,320	$14,807
Haleiwa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	66-505 Haleiwa Rd	Haleiwa	96712	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 637-8237	196	15	13.0	56.1%	43 (21.9%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (26.5%)	14 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (19.4%)	49 (25.0%)	62.6	86^th of 203 public elementary schools	57.6%		61.4	90^th of 204 public elementary schools	55.9%	4	50.0	54.0	52.0	$17,895	$1,193	$16,702
Sergeant Samuel K Solomon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Schofield Barracks	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 624-9500	681	54	12.6	52.4%	206 (30.2%)	84 (12.3%)	237 (34.8%)	24 (3.5%)	2 (0.3%)	43 (6.3%)	85 (12.5%)	40.3	130^th of 203 public elementary schools	36.0%		41.5	123^rd of 204 public elementary schools	39.7%	7	39.0	49.0	37.0	$16,452	$1,545	$14,907
Daniel K Inouye Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	Waianae & Ayres Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 622-6380	591	42	14.0	28.6%	262 (44.3%)	69 (11.7%)	136 (23.0%)	26 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.0%)	80 (13.5%)	43.5	122^nd of 203 public elementary schools	39.9%		54.3	99^th of 204 public elementary schools	51.5%	23	39.0	46.0	45.0	$15,984	$1,114	$14,870
Helemano Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 Ihi Ihi Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6336	417	37	11.2	59.2%	30 (7.2%)	15 (3.6%)	95 (22.8%)	115 (27.6%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (13.7%)	105 (25.2%)	84.6	38^th of 203 public elementary schools	81.3%		84.2	38^th of 204 public elementary schools	81.4%		70.0	64.0	60.0	$17,669	$1,595	$16,074
Sunset Beach Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	59-360 Kamehameha Hwy	Haleiwa	96712	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 638-8777	359	30	11.9	29.0%	173 (48.2%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (15.6%)	8 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (10.3%)	85 (23.7%)	81.6	47^th of 203 public elementary schools	76.8%		75.6	64^th of 204 public elementary schools	68.6%	17	56.0	69.0	62.0	$15,255	$870	$14,385
Kaala Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	130 California Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6366	381	32	11.9	71.9%	6 (1.6%)	3 (0.8%)	96 (25.2%)	66 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	154 (40.4%)	56 (14.7%)	44.2	119^th of 203 public elementary schools	41.4%		58.4	95^th of 204 public elementary schools	53.4%	24	36.0	41.0	55.0	$17,745	$1,753	$15,992
Major Sheldon Wheeler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Wheeler Army Airfield	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6400	598	41	14.7	43.8%	214 (35.8%)	76 (12.7%)	177 (29.6%)	34 (5.7%)	2 (0.3%)	24 (4.0%)	71 (11.9%)	70.1	68^th of 203 public elementary schools	66.5%		73.3	68^th of 204 public elementary schools	66.7%		49.0	61.0	57.0	$15,947	$1,187	$14,760
Wahiawa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1402 Glen Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6393	429	34	12.6	59.4%	32 (7.5%)	11 (2.6%)	101 (23.5%)	57 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	135 (31.5%)	93 (21.7%)	67.8	76^th of 203 public elementary schools	62.6%		51.3	105^th of 204 public elementary schools	48.5%	29	56.0	54.0	54.0	$17,407	$1,308	$16,099
Iliahi Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2035 California Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6411	313	24	13.0	53.0%	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (26.8%)	52 (16.6%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (22.4%)	101 (32.3%)	68.1	74^th of 203 public elementary schools	63.5%		80.5	51^st of 204 public elementary schools	75.0%	23	50.0	58.0	56.0	$17,456	$1,564	$15,892

Frequently Asked Questions about Waialua Elementary School

Is Waialua Elementary School a good school?

Waialua Elementary School ranks 51^st of 203 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waialua Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 413 students attended Waialua Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Waialua Elementary School attend?

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

High : Waialua High & Intermediate School

What is the racial makeup of Waialua Elementary School?

Students at Waialua Elementary School are 32% White, 24% Hispanic, 21% Two or more races, 13% Asian, 10% Pacific Islander.

What district is Waialua 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.