Best Public Schools in Zip Code 96738

Summary:

The 96738 zip code is home to a single public school, Waikoloa Elementary and Middle School, which serves grades PK-8 and has a total enrollment of 728 students. The school is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district.

Waikoloa Elementary and Middle School has a statewide ranking that has fluctuated between 143 and 153 out of 204-207 Hawaii elementary schools over the past 3 school years, with a 2-star and 1-star rating. The school has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 32.0% and academic performance, as measured by proficiency rates on standardized tests, is below the state averages across English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's ELA proficiency rate was 37.44% compared to the state average of 50%. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students (51.1%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Despite the school's low student-teacher ratio of 12.7, which is relatively low compared to national averages, the academic performance of Waikoloa Elementary and Middle School suggests that students may be facing significant challenges that are impacting their educational outcomes. Addressing attendance issues and providing additional resources and support to address the economic disadvantages of the student population could be important areas of focus for the school and the district.

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
Waikoloa Elementary and Middle School	Public	PK, KG-8	68-1730 Hooko St	Waikoloa	96738	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 883-6808	732	59	12.4	51.5%	119 (16.3%)	0 (0.0%)	164 (22.4%)	71 (9.7%)	3 (0.4%)	226 (30.9%)	149 (20.4%)	32.7	143^rd of 204 public elementary schools	29.9%		30.2	153^rd of 207 public elementary schools	26.1%	10	42.0	41.0	33.0	$16,262	$1,337	$14,925

Cities Near Zip Code 96738

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Waikoloa	8.73 mi	1	32^nd
Kailua Kona	14.61 mi	6	22^nd
Holualoa	16.37 mi	1	15^th
Kamuela	17.03 mi	3	33^rd
Kealakekua	21.89 mi	5	40^th

See the top HI Hawaii cities

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.