Summary:
ZIP code 96748 contains two schools, both elementary: Kaunakakai Elementary School with 282 students and Kilohana Elementary School with 80 students. Both serve grades PK–6 under the Hawaii Department of Education, for a combined enrollment of 362. Neither is a middle or high school, so families in this area will need to look elsewhere for secondary education.
Academically, Kaunakakai is the stronger performer in every tested subject in both available years. In 2025–26 it reached 38% proficiency in English language arts, 45% in mathematics, and 36% in science, and ranked 139th of 203 schools (32nd percentile, 2 stars) — a level it has held for all three years of rank history. Kilohana scored 21% in ELA, 13% in mathematics, and 9% in science, ranking 201st of 203 (1st percentile, 0 stars), down from 1 star in 2023–24. The gap between them widened in the latest year: ELA from 10 to 17 points, mathematics from 20 to 32 points, and science from 12 to 27 points. Kaunakakai's 2025–26 results improved in mathematics and science but slipped 6 points in ELA, while Kilohana declined in all three subjects.
Kilohana has the advantage on several resource and attendance measures: a student-teacher ratio of 8.8 versus 14.8, per-student spending of $24,576 in 2018–19 versus $19,132, and chronic absenteeism of 32.0% versus 37.0%. Its free/reduced-price lunch rate is higher (88.75% versus 78.37%), so both schools serve largely low-income populations. Even so, Kilohana's academic results are much weaker, and attendance does not track the proficiency gap between the two. Because Kilohana enrolls only 80 students, its year-to-year percentages can move sharply, so that trend deserves caution. In short, Kaunakakai offers the more consistent academic record; Kilohana offers smaller classes and higher per-student spending.
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