King David Kalakaua Middle School

King David Kalakaua Middle School is a public middle school at 821 Kalihi St in Honolulu serving about 900 students in grades 6–8, part of the Hawaii Department of Education. Because Hawaii has a single statewide district, the district rank field isn't very useful; the school-level picture matters more. Kalakaua sits in the middle tier of Hawaii middle schools: in 2025–2026 it ranked 39th of 85 middle schools, at the 54th percentile, with a 3-star rating. That fits a long pattern — 3 stars consistently, with percentiles mostly in the 49–66 range — though the most recent year dipped from the 62nd percentile to the 54th.

Proficiency was 46% in English Language Arts, 37% in Math, and 37% in Science in 2025–2026, slightly below the prior year's 49/39/40 and below the nearby medians (roughly 60% ELA, 44.5% Math, 56% Science). Kalakaua clearly outpaces two nearby high-poverty schools, Governor Sanford B Dole Middle School and Princess Ruth Keelikolani Middle School, and roughly matches President George Washington Middle School — even though Kalakaua has a higher free/reduced-lunch rate (64.22% vs. 59.34%) and lower per-student spending. But it trails Moanalua Middle School, Kulia Academy, School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability, Prince David Kawananakoa Middle School, Aiea Intermediate School, Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School, and Aliamanu Middle School. At 900 students it is the largest nearby middle school.

Chronic absenteeism was 19.0%, near the local median but well above Moanalua's 10.0% and Stevenson's 12.0%. Subgroup results vary: Special Education students were a bright spot (13th of 63, 79th percentile, 4 stars), and Low Socio Economic Status students ranked above the state median (32nd of 84, 62nd percentile). English Language Learner students were near the middle, while Pacific Islander and White students ranked in the low percentiles in 2025–2026. Overall, this is a stable, middle-tier urban school with clear strengths and clear room to grow.