Summary:
ZIP code 96714 is a single-school area served by the Hawaii Department of Education, containing just one public school: Hanalei Elementary School, a PK–6 elementary campus with 183 students at 5-5415 Kuhio Hwy in Hanalei. Because there are no other elementary, middle, high, or alternative schools in this ZIP, there is nothing to compare it against locally — the story here is how this one school has performed over time.
That story is a strong one. Hanalei Elementary School ranked 17th out of 203 Hawaii schools in 2025–2026, placing it in the 92nd percentile with 5 stars — roughly the top 8% of schools in the state. That is a clear step up from 49th of 204 (76th percentile, 4 stars) in 2024–2025 and 35th of 207 (83rd percentile, 4 stars) in 2023–2024. Test scores rose in every subject: ELA went from 66% to 70% proficient, math from 59% to 66%, and science from 64% to 81%. Science is now the highest-performing subject, though it uses the HSA exam while ELA and math use Smarter Balanced Assessments, so subject-to-subject comparisons deserve some caution.
For parents, the main watch item is attendance. In 2024–2025, 36.0% of students were chronically absent — more than one in three — which is a significant concern even alongside strong academics. About 31.15% of students were eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating moderate economic need. Class sizes look favorable at 11.4 students per teacher, and per-student spending was $15,509 in 2018–2019, though that figure is several years older than the rest and should not be treated as current. With only 183 students, year-to-year changes can be volatile, and the absenteeism, lunch, and staffing figures cover 2024–2025 only.
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