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Kalihi Waena Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

164^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 204 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of Hawaii elementary schools

Summary

Kalihi Waena Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Honolulu, Hawaii, with a student population of 453. While the school is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district, which is ranked 5 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger, Kalihi Waena has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Hawaii elementary schools over the past 10 years, with a ranking between 134-180 out of around 200 schools.

Kalihi Waena Elementary faces significant challenges in student achievement, with consistently below-average test scores across all subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, only 40% of students were proficient in ELA and 36.86% were proficient in Math, compared to state averages of 50% and 48-53% respectively. The school also has very high chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 28% in 2024-2025, which is significantly higher than the 16% rate at the nearby higher-performing Kalihi Kai Elementary. Additionally, 67.55% of Kalihi Waena students receive free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, which is higher than the 65.87% rate at Kalihi Kai and much higher than the 29.23% rate at the top-performing Major General William R Shafter Elementary.

The nearby schools in the area show a wide range of performance, with Major General William R Shafter Elementary consistently ranking in the top 20% of Hawaii elementary schools and Kaewai Elementary ranking in the bottom 20%. This highlights the variability in school quality within the same geographic area. Addressing the challenges faced by Kalihi Waena Elementary will require a concerted effort to improve instructional practices, attendance, and support for economically disadvantaged students.

432

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,807

Per pupil spending ?

65.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1240 Gulick Ave
Honolulu, HI 96819

(808) 832-3210

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Students who attend Kalihi Waena Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Governor Sanford B Dole Middle School
High:	Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School

Racial breakdown:

Pacific Islander:

44.4%

Asian:

41.7%

Two or more races:

10.4%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Kalihi Waena Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 31st percentile in 2018 → 20th in 2025

Worth a look

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped from its 31st-percentile peak (2018) to 20th (2025)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school32%

164^th of 204

Hawaii public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 7% (2015) to bottom 20% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Hawaii Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

154^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	20.8	164 of 204	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	33.4	147 of 207	29.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.3	158 of 195	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.9	144 of 193	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.0	161 of 196	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.2	138 of 196	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.4	134 of 193	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	33.9	152 of 207	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	17.7	169 of 195	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	10.1	180 of 194	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	39.5	135 of 196	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	25.6	166 of 195	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	16.6	176 of 191	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	23.2	153 of 183	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	32.5	147 of 191	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	15.9	134 of 146	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	20.0	167 of 192	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	20.9	171 of 194	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	77.2	55 of 203	72.9%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	23.7	109 of 123	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	46.2	133 of 198	32.8%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	19.0	95 of 110	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	32.0	153 of 196	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	35.0	117 of 153	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.3	155 of 207	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	0.0	200 of 202	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Asian (2024)73rd percentile+44 vs school

Special Education (2025)24th percentile+4 vs school

Pacific Islander (2025)14th percentile-6 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)11th percentile-8 vs school

White (2024)1st percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs Hawaii (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts37%

Science30%

Mathematics29%

★

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Schools Near Kalihi Waena 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
Kalihi Waena Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1240 Gulick Ave	Honolulu	96819	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 832-3210	432	31	14.1	65.3%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.5%)	180 (41.7%)	0 (0.0%)	192 (44.4%)	45 (10.4%)	20.8	164^th of 204 public elementary schools	19.6%		33.4	147^th of 207 public elementary schools	29.0%	17	30.0	37.0	29.0	$17,807	$1,789	$16,018
Linapuni Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	1434 Linapuni St	Honolulu	96819	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 832-3303	121	10	12.1	86.8%	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.1%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (85.1%)	9 (7.4%)								(n/a)				$22,013	$1,530	$20,483
Kapalama Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1601 North School St	Honolulu	96817	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 832-3290	476	37	12.8	56.3%	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (12.2%)	291 (61.1%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (10.5%)	74 (15.5%)	70.5	75^th of 204 public elementary schools	63.2%		80.1	53^rd of 207 public elementary schools	74.4%	22	59.0	54.0	59.0	$15,866	$1,539	$14,327
Mayor Joseph J Fern Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1121 Middle St	Honolulu	96819	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 832-3040	384	32	12.0	74.0%	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (4.2%)	126 (32.8%)	0 (0.0%)	199 (51.8%)	42 (10.9%)	20.5	165^th of 204 public elementary schools	19.1%		27.3	159^th of 207 public elementary schools	23.2%	6	28.0	32.0	34.0	$17,487	$1,896	$15,591
Kalihi Kai Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	626 McNeill St	Honolulu	96817	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 832-3322	533	39	13.6	64.7%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.4%)	378 (70.9%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (16.5%)	38 (7.1%)	50.4	108^th of 204 public elementary schools	47.1%		62	89^th of 207 public elementary schools	57.0%	19	41.0	51.0	49.0	$17,912	$1,974	$15,938
Major General William R Shafter Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2 Fort Shafter	Honolulu	96819	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 832-3560	380	28	13.5	25.8%	133 (35.0%)	56 (14.7%)	93 (24.5%)	23 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.6%)	65 (17.1%)	77.8	56^th of 204 public elementary schools	72.5%		87.5	34^th of 207 public elementary schools	83.6%	22	49.0	70.0	67.0	$16,290	$787	$15,503
Kaewai Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1929 Kamehameha IV Rd	Honolulu	96819	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 832-3500	257	21	12.2	80.9%	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.4%)	69 (26.8%)	0 (0.0%)	149 (58.0%)	24 (9.3%)	18.5	170^th of 204 public elementary schools	16.7%		25.8	160^th of 207 public elementary schools	22.7%	10	34.0	33.0	24.0	$18,403	$1,847	$16,556
Puuhale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	345 Puuhale Rd	Honolulu	96819	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 832-3190	239	19	12.5	84.5%	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.6%)	68 (28.5%)	0 (0.0%)	128 (53.6%)	19 (7.9%)	46.2	114^th of 204 public elementary schools	44.1%		47.5	121^st of 207 public elementary schools	41.5%	7	55.0	48.0	32.0	$19,790	$2,507	$17,283
Princess Miriam K Likelike Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1618 Palama St	Honolulu	96817	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 832-3370	227	19	11.9	74.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (8.8%)	94 (41.4%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (37.0%)	29 (12.8%)	53.3	102^nd of 204 public elementary schools	50.0%		47.2	122^nd of 207 public elementary schools	41.1%	20	46.0	51.0	48.0	$18,177	$1,768	$16,409
Kalihi Uka Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2411 Kalihi St	Honolulu	96819	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 832-3310	249	15	16.6	69.1%	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.2%)	137 (55.0%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (24.9%)	31 (12.4%)	64.8	87^th of 204 public elementary schools	57.4%		71.2	77^th of 207 public elementary schools	62.8%	10	54.0	56.0	51.0	$18,128	$1,896	$16,232

Frequently Asked Questions about Kalihi Waena Elementary School

Is Kalihi Waena Elementary School a good school?

Kalihi Waena Elementary School ranks in the bottom 19.6% of Hawaii elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Kalihi Waena Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Kalihi Waena Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Governor Sanford B Dole Middle School
High : Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School

How many students attend Kalihi Waena Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 432 students attended Kalihi Waena Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Kalihi Waena Elementary School?

Students at Kalihi Waena Elementary School are 44% Pacific Islander, 42% Asian, 10% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Kalihi Waena 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.