Hilo Union Elementary School

Summary:

Hilo Union Elementary School is a public elementary school in Hilo, Hawaii, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 422 students. The school is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district, which is ranked 1 out of 1 in the state and rated 5 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Hilo Union Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Hawaii elementary schools, ranking between 120-166 out of 193-207 schools over the past 8 years. The school has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is performing below average compared to other elementary schools in the state. Student performance on standardized tests is generally below the state average, with proficiency rates of 37% in English Language Arts, 30% in Mathematics, and 18% in Science. The school also has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 30.2% and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 70.38% to 79.33% over the past three school years.

When comparing Hilo Union Elementary School to nearby schools in the same district, several interesting findings emerge. Keaau Elementary School, located about 8 miles away, has similar performance metrics to Hilo Union, while Ernest Bowen DeSilva Elementary School, located just 1.7 miles away, and Haaheo Elementary School, located 1.5 miles away, are both higher-performing schools. Hilo Union's performance on standardized tests also varies significantly by student subgroup, ranking in the top 25% of Hawaii elementary schools for Hispanic students, but in the bottom 25% for Asian, White, and English Language Learner students.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 506 Waianuenue Ave
       Hilo, HI  96720


(808) 933-0900

District: Hawaii Department of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
120th of 207 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,068 Help


Students who attend Hilo Union Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Hilo Intermediate School
High:    Hilo High School

Student/teacher ratio:  11.7 Help
Number of students:  422

Racial breakdown:

Pacific Islander:
38.6%
Hispanic:
32.7%
Two or more races:
15.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  70.4% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Hilo Union Elementary School ranks worse than 58% of elementary schools in Hawaii. It also ranks 113th 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 47.95. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Hilo Union 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 Hilo Union Elementary School is $18,068, which is the 34th highest among 183 elementary schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Hilo Union Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Hilo Union Elementary School 120th of 207 Hawaii public elementary schools. (See Hilo Union 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 Hilo Union Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Hilo Union Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 34.38 134th 194 30.9%
2007 19.57 168th 192 12.5%
2008 19.04 131st 146 10.3%
2009 32.81 146th 191 23.6%
2010 10.23 175th 183 4.4%
2011 18.53 171st 191 10.5%
2012 21.17 174th 195 10.8%
2013 17.03 181st 196 7.7%
2015 14.17 175th 194 9.8%
2016 28.59 148th 195 24.1%
2017 21.56 173rd 207 16.4%
2018 21.19 166th 193 14.0%
2019 26.26 153rd 196 21.9%
2021 23.09 152nd 196 22.4%
2022 30.89 139th 193 28.0%
2023 20.12 164th 195 15.9%
2024 47.95 120th 207 42.0%
See the entire list of Hawaii Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Hilo Union Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 59.81 106th 198 46.5%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Hilo Union Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 56.16 101st 207 51.2%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Hilo Union Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 41.70 150th 203 26.1%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Hilo Union Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 79.33 45th 165 72.7%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Hilo Union Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 73.22 63rd 196 67.9%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Hilo Union Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 50.14 121st 202 40.1%
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.

Hilo Union 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 Hilo Union Elementary School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 191 4 535 16 2 n/a n/a 0 748
1989 184 3 532 19 1 n/a n/a 0 739
1990 170 4 552 18 3 n/a n/a 2 749
1991 179 19 538 4 2 n/a n/a 0 742
1992 181 3 485 53 2 n/a n/a 0 724
1993 185 4 470 58 1 n/a n/a 0 718
1994 165 6 469 60 1 n/a n/a 0 701
1995 144 4 460 53 4 n/a n/a 0 665
1996 144 4 460 53 4 n/a n/a 0 665
1997 144 2 474 52 7 n/a n/a -11 668
1998 141 4 471 56 8 n/a n/a 0 680
1999 120 2 442 53 6 n/a n/a 0 623
2000 123 3 456 51 6 n/a n/a 0 639
2001 92 2 432 51 3 n/a n/a 0 580
2002 88 1 385 58 1 n/a n/a 0 533
2003 88 1 385 58 1 n/a n/a 0 533
2004 88 3 385 47 1 n/a n/a 0 524
2005 70 5 378 41 2 n/a n/a 0 496
2006 73 6 413 33 4 n/a n/a 0 529
2007 83 4 412 36 3 n/a n/a 0 538
2008 66 5 387 25 6 n/a n/a 0 489
2009 55 6 375 18 4 n/a n/a 0 458
2010 56 6 370 20 2 n/a n/a 0 454
2011 38 7 89 24 2 272 20 0 452
2012 29 5 78 58 0 238 47 0 455
2013 31 5 69 79 1 213 62 0 460
2014 33 3 57 91 0 237 68 0 489
2015 23 4 47 95 0 226 63 0 458
2016 18 4 42 108 0 204 58 0 434
2017 24 3 35 117 0 177 51 0 407
2018 23 3 31 132 0 171 57 0 417
2019 12 2 25 144 0 190 68 0 441
2020 13 3 26 130 0 190 64 0 426
2021 17 1 28 135 0 176 73 0 430
2022 17 1 26 132 0 170 70 0 416
2023 21 1 33 138 0 163 66 0 422

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 Hilo Union Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 748 39.5 18.9 49.7
1989 739 37.5 19.7 48.7
1990 749 38.0 19.7 46.3
1991 742 39.0 19.0 40.6
1992 724 41.5 17.4 49.7
1993 718 40.5 17.7 42.8
1994 701 40.0 17.5 19.1
1995 665 37.0 18.0 24.1
1996 665 37.0 18.0 24.1
1997 668 35.5 18.8 51.1
1998 680 37.5 18.1 46.6
1999 623 34.0 18.3 59.9
2000 639 36.0 17.8 58.8
2001 580 35.0 16.6 68.3
2002 533 34.0 15.7 67.2
2003 533 34.0 15.7 67.2
2004 524 30.0 17.5 72.3
2005 496 32.0 15.5 73.2
2006 529 34.5 15.3 77.5
2007 538 35.5 15.2 74.9
2008 489 34.5 14.2 72.6
2009 458 35.0 13.1 76.4
2010 454 35.0 12.9 80.6
2011 452 35.0 12.9 83
2012 455 37.5 12.1 83.7
2013 460 38.5 11.9 83.9
2014 489 35.0 13.9 85.9
2015 458 34.0 13.4 84.9
2016 434 31.0 14.0 83.4
2017 407 32.0 12.7 78.9
2018 417 30.0 13.9 79.4
2019 441 33.0 13.3 77.3
2020 426 34.5 12.3 78.2
2021 430 36.0 11.9 74.2
2022 416 36.0 11.5 79.3
2023 422 36.0 11.7 70.4

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 Hilo Union Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 748 39.5 18.9 49.7
1989 739 37.5 19.7 48.7
1990 749 38.0 19.7 46.3
1991 742 39.0 19.0 40.6
1992 724 41.5 17.4 49.7
1993 718 40.5 17.7 42.8
1994 701 40.0 17.5 19.1
1995 665 37.0 18.0 24.1
1996 665 37.0 18.0 24.1
1997 668 35.5 18.8 51.1
1998 680 37.5 18.1 46.6
1999 623 34.0 18.3 59.9
2000 639 36.0 17.8 58.8
2001 580 35.0 16.6 68.3
2002 533 34.0 15.7 67.2
2003 533 34.0 15.7 67.2
2004 524 30.0 17.5 72.3
2005 496 32.0 15.5 73.2
2006 529 34.5 15.3 77.5
2007 538 35.5 15.2 74.9
2008 489 34.5 14.2 72.6
2009 458 35.0 13.1 76.4
2010 454 35.0 12.9 80.6
2011 452 35.0 12.9 83
2012 455 37.5 12.1 83.7
2013 460 38.5 11.9 83.9
2014 489 35.0 13.9 85.9
2015 458 34.0 13.4 84.9
2016 434 31.0 14.0 83.4
2017 407 32.0 12.7 78.9
2018 417 30.0 13.9 79.4
2019 441 33.0 13.3 77.3
2020 426 34.5 12.3 78.2
2021 430 36.0 11.9 74.2
2022 416 36.0 11.5 79.3
2023 422 36.0 11.7 70.4

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 Hilo Union Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,957 (10.8%) $16,111 (89.2%) $18,068

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Hilo Union 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 153rd of 196 Elementary schoolsRanks 164th of 195 Elementary schools
 6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hilo Union Elementary School)3633
 3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5349
 4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hilo Union Elementary School)3631
 5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)5652
 4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hilo Union Elementary School)4441
 3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5251
 1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hilo Union Elementary School)3838
   4th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)4950
 1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hilo Union Elementary School)4031
 9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5755
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hilo Union Elementary School)2819
 9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)4444
6th Grade English Language Arts (Hilo Union Elementary School)4844
 4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5351
 2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Hilo Union Elementary School)3633
 3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)4139
 2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Hilo Union Elementary School)4337
 6%
All Grades Mathematics (Hilo Union Elementary School)3430
 4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students441422
 4.3%
African American21
 50%
American Indian00
Asian2533
 32%
Hispanic144138
 4.2%
Pacific Islander190163
 14.2%
White1221
 75%
Two or More Races6866
 2.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients77.3%70.4%
 6.9%


Schools Near Hilo Union Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Hilo Union Elementary School

In the 2022-23 school year, 422 students attended Hilo Union Elementary School.

Students who attend Hilo Union Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hilo Intermediate School
High : Hilo High School

Hilo Union Elementary School ranks 120th of 207 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Hilo Union Elementary School are 39% Pacific Islander, 33% Hispanic, 16% Two or more races, 8% Asian, 5% White.


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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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