Summary:
Zip code 96743 covers Kamuela/Waimea on Hawaii Island and contains three schools serving about 1,358 students: Kanu o ka Aina - New Century PCS (alternative, K–12), Waimea Elementary School (PK–5), and Waimea Middle - PCCS (grades 6–8), all part of the Hawaii Department of Education. No standalone high school is counted in this area; the only school with high school grades and a graduation rate is the K–12 alternative school.
Each school stands out on a different measure. Kanu o ka Aina is the largest (696 students, just over half the area total), has by far the lowest chronic absenteeism at 9.0%, and reports an 87.0% graduation rate — but it has the lowest 2025–26 proficiency in all three subjects (ELA 39%, Math 23%, Science 33%) and declined in each from the prior year. Waimea Elementary leads on academics in 2025–26 (ELA 47%, Math 38%, Science 45%), including the largest single gain in the data, a +10-point rise in Science, but it also has the highest chronic absenteeism at 32.0%. Waimea Middle is the smallest (188 students) and best staffed, with a student-teacher ratio of 8.3 versus 14.0 and 14.3 at the other two, and it holds the strongest state rank at the 51st percentile with 3 stars, ahead of Waimea Elementary at the 41st percentile with 2 stars.
A few patterns are worth noting. Science results flipped: Kanu o ka Aina led in 2024–25 at 39%, but Waimea Elementary took the lead in 2025–26 at 45%. Poverty levels do not line up simply with outcomes — Waimea Middle has the highest free/reduced lunch rate (68.09%) yet the best rank and lower absenteeism than Waimea Elementary. Per-student spending figures ($17,475 at Waimea Elementary, $10,376 at Waimea Middle, $9,697 at Kanu o ka Aina) are from 2018–19 and should be treated as historical rather than current.
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