Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

Summary:

Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School is a public elementary school in Hilo, Hawaii, serving 486 students in grades PK-6. The school consistently ranks among the top 20 elementary schools in the state, with strong academic performance across multiple subject areas and grade levels.

Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School boasts impressive academic achievements, with 71.17% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 69.2% proficient or better in Mathematics on the Smarter Balanced Assessments. The school outperforms the state averages in both subjects, particularly in 6th grade, where 88% of students are proficient or better in ELA and 76% in Math. The school's diverse student population, with a significant percentage of students identifying as two or more races, Pacific Islander, and Hispanic, is a unique characteristic compared to nearby schools like Keaau Elementary School and Prince Jonah Kalanianaole Elementary & Intermediate School.

While the school's overall performance is exceptional, with strong results for Pacific Islander and White student subgroups, the relatively lower performance of its Hispanic student subgroup suggests an area for potential improvement. Additionally, the school's lower chronic absenteeism rate and comparatively lower free and reduced lunch rates indicate that it may serve a more engaged and economically advantaged student population compared to some of its neighbors. Overall, Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School is a high-performing institution that consistently delivers excellent educational outcomes for its diverse student body.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 278 Ainako Ave
       Hilo, HI  96720


(808) 974-4855

District: Hawaii Department of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
26th of 207 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,582 Help


Students who attend Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Hilo Intermediate School
High:    Hilo High School

Student/teacher ratio:  20.2 Help
Number of students:  486

Racial breakdown:

Two or more races:
36.2%
Hispanic:
22.8%
Pacific Islander:
15.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  29% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School ranks better than 87.4% of elementary schools in Hawaii. It also ranks 25th among 183 ranked elementary schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 89.57. (See more...)
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Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Hawaii Department of Education School District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School is $15,582. 128 elementary schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School 26th of 207 Hawaii public elementary schools. (See Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Asian students:
Hispanic students:
Pacific Islander students:
White students:


Hawaii Department of Education:

SchoolDigger ranks Hawaii Department of Education 1st of 1 Hawaii school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 78.15 29th 194 85.1%
2007 69.76 48th 192 75.0%
2010 87.04 15th 183 91.8%
2013 84.60 26th 196 86.7%
2015 89.86 16th 194 91.8%
2016 90.12 15th 195 92.3%
2017 94.96 13th 207 93.7%
2018 87.22 19th 193 90.2%
2019 92.19 8th 196 95.9%
2021 88.81 19th 196 90.3%
2022 89.65 19th 193 90.2%
2023 89.45 20th 195 89.7%
2024 89.57 26th 207 87.4%
See the entire list of Hawaii Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 98.51 5th 198 97.5%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 60.91 91st 207 56.0%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 78.66 49th 203 75.9%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 33.42 125th 165 24.2%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 95.71 10th 196 94.9%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 91.14 16th 202 92.1%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Hawaii State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Hawaii Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 122 1 279 2 1 n/a n/a 0 405
1989 118 3 274 5 0 n/a n/a 0 400
1990 100 3 270 13 0 n/a n/a 0 386
1991 96 9 253 0 0 n/a n/a 0 358
1992 105 3 257 33 0 n/a n/a 0 398
1993 96 2 273 31 0 n/a n/a -1 401
1994 88 2 280 34 0 n/a n/a 0 404
1995 91 5 285 25 0 n/a n/a 0 406
1996 91 5 285 25 0 n/a n/a 0 406
1997 101 3 289 26 0 n/a n/a -2 417
1998 99 1 282 27 1 n/a n/a 0 410
1999 95 0 279 24 1 n/a n/a 0 399
2000 95 0 277 24 0 n/a n/a 0 396
2001 78 1 263 20 1 n/a n/a 0 363
2002 72 2 240 18 2 n/a n/a 0 334
2003 72 2 240 18 2 n/a n/a 0 334
2004 61 2 241 19 3 n/a n/a 0 326
2005 50 2 270 20 3 n/a n/a 0 345
2006 55 2 280 17 4 n/a n/a 0 358
2007 67 1 291 20 3 n/a n/a 0 382
2008 65 0 287 20 2 n/a n/a 0 374
2009 64 0 289 19 1 n/a n/a 0 373
2010 64 0 303 20 1 n/a n/a 0 388
2011 57 1 159 11 0 133 35 0 396
2012 61 1 140 18 1 130 61 0 412
2013 54 1 128 27 0 104 92 0 406
2014 46 1 114 41 0 116 116 0 434
2015 45 1 113 45 0 106 131 0 441
2016 48 1 101 55 0 107 142 0 454
2017 52 1 91 60 0 90 164 0 458
2018 61 1 79 75 0 75 159 0 450
2019 55 3 73 78 0 76 166 0 451
2020 62 3 78 93 0 74 177 0 487
2021 46 1 69 100 1 64 172 0 453
2022 52 2 69 111 1 63 166 0 464
2023 54 0 70 111 0 75 176 0 486

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 405 22.0 18.4 17.8
1989 400 20.0 20.0 19.5
1990 386 19.5 19.7 15.8
1991 358 19.0 18.8 15.4
1992 398 18.5 21.5 18.1
1993 401 21.5 18.7 16.4
1994 404 22.0 18.4 9.7
1995 406 19.0 21.4 9.4
1996 406 19.0 21.4 9.4
1997 417 20.5 20.3 22.9
1998 410 22.0 18.6 16.6
1999 399 21.5 18.6 27.6
2000 396 22.0 18.0 28.3
2001 363 21.0 17.3 28.1
2002 334 20.0 16.7 24.9
2003 334 20.0 16.7 24.9
2004 326 19.0 17.2 29.8
2005 345 19.0 18.2 30.1
2006 358 20.0 17.9 26.8
2007 382 22.0 17.4 25.7
2008 374 23.0 16.3 23
2009 373 21.0 17.8 27.9
2010 388 22.0 17.6 28.1
2011 396 22.0 18.0 32.6
2012 412 22.0 18.7 34.5
2013 406 23.0 17.6 34
2014 434 22.0 19.7 35.3
2015 441 23.0 19.1 36.5
2016 454 24.0 18.9 38.1
2017 458 26.5 17.2 34.7
2018 450 24.5 18.3 32.7
2019 451 24.5 18.4 29.3
2020 487 23.5 20.7 32.9
2021 453 23.0 19.6 32.2
2022 464 23.0 20.1 27.6
2023 486 24.0 20.2 29

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 405 22.0 18.4 17.8
1989 400 20.0 20.0 19.5
1990 386 19.5 19.7 15.8
1991 358 19.0 18.8 15.4
1992 398 18.5 21.5 18.1
1993 401 21.5 18.7 16.4
1994 404 22.0 18.4 9.7
1995 406 19.0 21.4 9.4
1996 406 19.0 21.4 9.4
1997 417 20.5 20.3 22.9
1998 410 22.0 18.6 16.6
1999 399 21.5 18.6 27.6
2000 396 22.0 18.0 28.3
2001 363 21.0 17.3 28.1
2002 334 20.0 16.7 24.9
2003 334 20.0 16.7 24.9
2004 326 19.0 17.2 29.8
2005 345 19.0 18.2 30.1
2006 358 20.0 17.9 26.8
2007 382 22.0 17.4 25.7
2008 374 23.0 16.3 23
2009 373 21.0 17.8 27.9
2010 388 22.0 17.6 28.1
2011 396 22.0 18.0 32.6
2012 412 22.0 18.7 34.5
2013 406 23.0 17.6 34
2014 434 22.0 19.7 35.3
2015 441 23.0 19.1 36.5
2016 454 24.0 18.9 38.1
2017 458 26.5 17.2 34.7
2018 450 24.5 18.3 32.7
2019 451 24.5 18.4 29.3
2020 487 23.5 20.7 32.9
2021 453 23.0 19.6 32.2
2022 464 23.0 20.1 27.6
2023 486 24.0 20.2 29

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,242 (8.0%) $14,340 (92.0%) $15,582

Data source: Hawaii Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 8th of 196 Elementary schoolsRanks 20th of 195 Elementary schools
 6.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School)8264
 18%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5349
 4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School)8076
 4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)5652
 4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School)6972
 3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5251
 1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School)7175
 4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)4950
 1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School)8677
 9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5755
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School)7270
 2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)4444
6th Grade English Language Arts (Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School)8288
 6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5351
 2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School)7476
 2%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)4139
 2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School)8075
 5%
All Grades Mathematics (Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School)7474

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students451486
 7.8%
African American30
 100%
American Indian00
Asian7370
 4.1%
Hispanic78111
 42.3%
Pacific Islander7675
 1.3%
White5554
 1.8%
Two or More Races166176
 6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients29.3%29%
 0.3%


Schools Near Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School

Students who attend Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hilo Intermediate School
High : Hilo High School

Students at Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School are 36% Two or more races, 23% Hispanic, 15% Pacific Islander, 14% Asian, 11% White.

In the 2022-23 school year, 486 students attended Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School.

Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School ranks 26th of 207 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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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.





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