Summary:
ZIP code 96815 is home to three schools — two PK–5 elementary schools and one PK–12 specialized alternative school — with no traditional middle or high school in the area, so older students likely attend schools elsewhere. All three belong to the Hawaii Department of Education, a single statewide district, and together they enroll 948 students. The two elementary schools account for 899 students, about 94.8% of the total, while the alternative school enrolls 49.
Waikiki Elementary School is the clear academic standout in the ZIP, ranking 6th out of 203 ranked Hawaii schools in 2025–2026 (97th percentile, 5 stars) and holding a top-6% or better position for three straight years. Its 2025–2026 proficiency was 78% in ELA, 78% in math, and 79% in science, and it has the ZIP’s lowest chronic absenteeism (16.0%) and lowest free/reduced lunch rate (21.16%). President Thomas Jefferson Elementary School trails but is improving steadily: its statewide percentile rose from 37% to 43% to 56% over three years, and its 2025–2026 scores rose in all three subjects, with science up 15 points (43% to 58%) and math up 8 points. Waikiki still leads Jefferson by 31 points in ELA, 26 in math, and 21 in science. Jefferson serves a much higher free/reduced lunch population, 56.36% versus 21.16%.
Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind is a small, highly specialized setting with a 3.5 student-teacher ratio and $72,276 per-student spending in 2018–2019, far above the other two schools and likely reflecting the services it provides. Its 2025–2026 proficiency was 4% in ELA and 31% in math, and its science score is suppressed by the state, so it is unknown; its 2023–2024 graduation rate was 61.5%, and its chronic absenteeism of 37.0% is the ZIP’s highest. Because it serves a specialized population, its results should not be compared directly with the general elementary schools. Note also that Jefferson spends more per student than Waikiki ($17,996 vs. $15,173), yet Waikiki posts higher proficiency.
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