Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Public Schools in Zip Code 96797


At a glance
9
Schools
10,099
Students
Top rankedWaikele Elementary School26th of 203 Hawaii elementary schools
▲
Biggest riser
August Ahrens Elementary School up 10 spots statewide this year
◉
Smallest classes
Honowai Elementary School 12.3 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
4★
3★
2★
1★
1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

Zip code 96797 covers nine schools in the Waipahu area of Hawaii — six elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative K–12 school — serving a combined 10,099 students, all within the Hawaii Department of Education district.

The academic leaders are Kanoelani Elementary and Waikele Elementary, both reaching the 87th percentile in 2025–2026 with 68% ELA proficiency; Kanoelani posts 66% in math and Waikele 69% in science, and Waikele has climbed steadily from the 71st percentile two years earlier. Waipahu High School, the largest school with 2,538 students, ranks in the 86th percentile with an 86% graduation rate and a strong 65% ELA score, while Waipahu Intermediate School has improved from the 66th to the 82nd percentile. Hawaii Technology Academy - PCS, an alternative K–12 school, has the highest graduation rate (92%), lowest chronic absenteeism (14%), and lowest free/reduced lunch rate (16.06%) in the group.

Across the area, math is the common weak spot, averaging about 46% versus roughly 58% in ELA, and the gap is widest at Waipahu High (65% ELA vs. 33% math). Waipahu Elementary School has the lowest overall profile — 22nd percentile, 43% ELA, 37% math, 22% science — alongside the highest free/reduced lunch rate (73.16%) and absenteeism tied for the highest (22%). August Ahrens Elementary School and Kaleiopuu Elementary School sit near the middle, while Honowai Elementary School ranks in the 35th percentile. Notably, the top and bottom elementary schools differ by roughly 25 points in ELA and 46 points in science — a substantial gap within a single zip code — while attendance and per-student spending show no simple link to results.

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private




Cities Near Zip Code 96797

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.

Diagnostics