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Kaewai Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

165^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 203 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of Hawaii elementary schools

Summary

Kaewai Elementary School is a PK–5 school in Honolulu, Hawaii, serving 257 students as part of the Hawaii Department of Education, the state's only school district.

On state rankings, Kaewai placed 165th of 203 Hawaii elementary schools in 2025–2026 — the 19th percentile, with a 1-star rating. That fits a long pattern: over the past decade the school has stayed in the bottom quartile, with percentile ranks between 9 and 28. Its 2025–2026 proficiency rates were 35% in English language arts, 28% in math, and 38% in science, compared with nearby medians of 50%, 50%, and 53%. Among nearby schools with rankings, Major General William R Shafter Elementary School (84th percentile) and Lanakila Elementary School (76th) scored highest, while Kalihi Elementary School (17th percentile) was the only nearby school ranked below Kaewai.

Chronic absenteeism is Kaewai's sharpest difference: 36.0% in 2024–2025, up from 31.2% the year before and roughly double the nearby median of about 18%. The free/reduced lunch rate of 80.93% is the highest among nearby PK–5 schools, where the median is about 67%. Still, resources look comparable: $18,403 per student and a student-teacher ratio of 12.2, slightly better than nearby norms. Encouragingly, ELA rose to 35% and science to 38% in 2025–2026, though math remains the weakest subject at 28%. Subgroup results vary widely — the school's Hispanic students ranked 1st of 165 schools statewide in 2023–2024, a standout result, while special education and low-income students rank lower.

257

Students ?

12.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

80.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1929 Kamehameha IV Rd
Honolulu, HI 96819

(808) 832-3500

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Students who attend Kaewai Elementary School usually attend:

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

Racial breakdown:

Pacific Islander:

58.0%

Asian:

26.8%

Two or more races:

9.3%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Kaewai Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 23rd percentile in 2016 → 19th in 2026

Worth a look

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school34%

165^th of 203

Hawaii public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From bottom 23% (2016) to bottom 19% (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	24.2	165 of 203	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.5	170 of 204	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.8	160 of 207	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	169 of 195	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	12.1	176 of 193	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	17.0	170 of 196	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.1	147 of 196	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.5	149 of 193	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	35.0	149 of 207	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	27.0	150 of 195	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	7.0	190 of 194	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	24.1	169 of 196	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	19.2	178 of 195	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	15.4	178 of 191	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	18.0	163 of 183	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	8.3	182 of 191	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	22.5	164 of 192	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	35.5	131 of 194	32.5%	★★☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	57.8	109 of 203	46.3%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	60.3	58 of 116	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.8	62 of 123	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.5	140 of 198	29.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	98.8	1 of 165	99.4%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	35.4	138 of 202	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	48.4	62 of 115	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.7	53 of 110	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.9	120 of 196	38.8%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2026	30.1	125 of 155	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.5	173 of 207	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2024)99th percentile+77 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)50th percentile+31 vs school

Asian (2024)46th percentile+24 vs school

Pacific Islander (2026)46th percentile+27 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)32nd percentile+13 vs school

Special Education (2026)19th percentile~ school

By subject vs Hawaii (2025-2026) ?

Science38%

English Language Arts35%

Mathematics28%

5.0

1 rating

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1★0

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Schools Near Kaewai 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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
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%)	24.2	165^th of 203 public elementary schools	18.7%		18.5	170^th of 204 public elementary schools	16.7%	5	38.0	35.0	28.0	$18,403	$1,847	$16,556
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%)	69.9	69^th of 203 public elementary schools	66.0%		64.8	87^th of 204 public elementary schools	57.4%	18	53.0	57.0	57.0	$18,128	$1,896	$16,232
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%)	67.3	77^th of 203 public elementary schools	62.1%		70.5	75^th of 204 public elementary schools	63.2%	2	59.0	52.0	53.0	$15,866	$1,539	$14,327
Kalihi Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2471 Kula Kolea Dr	Honolulu	96819	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 832-3177	183	18	10.1	75.4%	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (14.2%)	39 (21.3%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (54.1%)	16 (8.7%)	21.6	169^th of 203 public elementary schools	16.7%		34.7	136^th of 204 public elementary schools	33.3%	33	26.0	38.0	32.0	$19,044	$2,060	$16,984
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%)	27.6	157^th of 203 public elementary schools	22.7%		20.8	164^th of 204 public elementary schools	19.6%	7	35.0	41.0	31.0	$17,807	$1,789	$16,018
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%)	26.2	162^nd of 203 public elementary schools	20.2%		20.5	165^th of 204 public elementary schools	19.1%	3	29.0	40.0	35.0	$17,487	$1,896	$15,591
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%)	86.5	32^nd of 203 public elementary schools	84.2%		77.8	56^th of 204 public elementary schools	72.5%	24	66.0	67.0	64.0	$16,290	$787	$15,503
Lanakila Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	717 North Kuakini St	Honolulu	96817	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 587-4466	287	22	13.0	67.2%	6 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.2%)	147 (51.2%)	0 (0.0%)	94 (32.8%)	25 (8.7%)	81.6	48^th of 203 public elementary schools	76.4%		71.5	71^st of 204 public elementary schools	65.2%	23	57.0	64.0	68.0	$17,018	$1,898	$15,120
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%)	60.1	93^rd of 203 public elementary schools	54.2%		50.4	108^th of 204 public elementary schools	47.1%	15	53.0	50.0	50.0	$17,912	$1,974	$15,938

Frequently Asked Questions about Kaewai Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Kaewai Elementary School attend?

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

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

What is the racial makeup of Kaewai Elementary School?

Students at Kaewai Elementary School are 58% Pacific Islander, 27% Asian, 9% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

How many students attend Kaewai Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 257 students attended Kaewai Elementary School.

What district is Kaewai Elementary School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

Is Kaewai Elementary School a good school?

Kaewai Elementary School ranks in the bottom 18.7% of Hawaii elementary schools.

Rate Kaewai Elementary School!

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Latest Hawaii data All new data »

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 graduation ratesSep 19, 2026

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

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesSep 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.