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Kohala Elementary School

Q: Is Kohala Elementary School a good school?

Kohala Elementary School ranks 142 nd of 204 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

142^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 204 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Better than 30% of Hawaii elementary schools

Summary

Kohala Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Kapaau, Hawaii, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 374 students. The school is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district, which is ranked 1 out of 1 in the state and rated 5 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

While Kohala Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Hawaii elementary schools, ranging from 119th to 170th out of 193-207 schools over the past several years, it performs particularly well for African American students, ranking 3rd out of 160 Hawaii elementary schools in 2023-2024. However, the school struggles with Asian and Pacific Islander students, ranking 187th and 142nd, respectively, out of Hawaii elementary schools in the same year. Additionally, Kohala Elementary School has had high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 26.0% to 38.3% in the past two school years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Compared to the nearby Waimea Elementary School, which also performs below the state average in academic proficiency, Kohala Elementary School's performance is notably lower. This suggests that Kohala Elementary School may face unique challenges that require a more targeted approach to improvement, such as addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism and implementing strategies to support the academic achievement of all student groups.

381

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,377

Per pupil spending ?

55.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

54-3609 Akoni Pule Hwy
Kapaau, HI 96755

(808) 889-7100

District: Hawaii Department of Education

Students who attend Kohala Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kohala Middle School
High:	Kohala High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

31.0%

Pacific Islander:

25.7%

Two or more races:

23.6%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Kohala Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 20th percentile in 2015 → 30th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 10 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

142^nd of 204

Hawaii public elementary schools ?

Bottom 30%▲ up 10 pts since 2015

From bottom 20% (2015) to bottom 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Hawaii Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

134^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	32.8	142 of 204	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.2	142 of 207	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.0	135 of 195	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.0	169 of 193	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.4	119 of 196	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.0	170 of 196	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.2	167 of 193	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.1	142 of 207	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	16.7	175 of 195	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	24.5	155 of 194	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	42.4	132 of 196	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	32.2	150 of 195	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	47.7	105 of 191	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2010	24.2	150 of 183	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	18.0	168 of 191	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	11.5	138 of 146	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	9.7	186 of 192	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	17.2	177 of 194	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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
2024	15.1	187 of 203	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	87 of 123	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	48.2	126 of 198	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2024	36.4	142 of 196	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	42.4	100 of 153	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.0	140 of 207	32.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Hawaii percentile	Rating
2025	68.1	65 of 171	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.9	108 of 202	46.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

African American (2024)98th percentile+67 vs school

White (2025)62nd percentile+32 vs school

Special Education (2025)35th percentile+4 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)29th percentile~ school

Pacific Islander (2024)28th percentile-4 vs school

Asian (2024)8th percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs Hawaii (2024-2025) ?

Science43%

English Language Arts39%

Mathematics34%

★

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Schools Near Kohala 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
Kohala Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	54-3609 Akoni Pule Hwy	Kapaau	96755	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 889-7100	381	26	14.6	55.9%	40 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	118 (31.0%)	33 (8.7%)	2 (0.5%)	98 (25.7%)	90 (23.6%)	32.8	142^nd of 204 public elementary schools	30.4%		37.2	142^nd of 207 public elementary schools	31.4%		43.0	39.0	34.0	$17,377	$1,199	$16,178
Waimea Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	67-1225 Mamalahoa Hwy	Kamuela	96743	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 887-7636	474	33	14.3	54.0%	35 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	96 (20.3%)	41 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	184 (38.8%)	118 (24.9%)	33	141^st of 204 public elementary schools	30.9%		37.7	139^th of 207 public elementary schools	32.9%	2	35.0	45.0	36.0	$17,475	$1,942	$15,533

Frequently Asked Questions about Kohala Elementary School

How many students attend Kohala Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 381 students attended Kohala Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Kohala Elementary School?

Students at Kohala Elementary School are 31% Hispanic, 26% Pacific Islander, 24% Two or more races, 10% White, 9% Asian.

Is Kohala Elementary School a good school?

Kohala Elementary School ranks 142^nd of 204 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Kohala Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Kohala Middle School
High : Kohala High School

What district is Kohala Elementary School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

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Schools in Kapaau, HI

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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.