Is Kealakehe Elementary School a good school?

Kealakehe Elementary School ranks in the bottom 7.7% of Hawaii elementary schools.

How many students attend Kealakehe Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 900 students attended Kealakehe Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Kealakehe Elementary School?

Students at Kealakehe Elementary School are 49% Pacific Islander, 19% Hispanic, 18% Two or more races, 8% Asian, 6% White.

What schools do graduates of Kealakehe Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Kealakehe Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Kealakehe Intermediate School High : Kealakehe High School

Kealakehe Elementary School

Summary:

Kealakehe Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, serving grades PK-5 with an enrollment of 842 students. While the school is part of the highly-rated Hawaii Department of Education district, it has consistently underperformed compared to the state average on standardized tests.

In the 2023-2024 school year, only 22.38% of Kealakehe Elementary students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, 24.03% in Mathematics, and 19.26% in Science, significantly lower than the state averages. The school also faces challenges with a very high chronic absenteeism rate of 44.0%, much higher than the state average. Additionally, Kealakehe Elementary has a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 64.85% to 72.62% over the past three school years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to nearby schools like Honaunau Elementary School and Konawaena Elementary School, Kealakehe Elementary performs significantly worse on academic measures. Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio and higher spending per student than the state average, the school's academic outcomes have not improved. Addressing the root causes of these challenges, such as improving attendance and providing targeted academic interventions, will be crucial for enhancing the educational experience at Kealakehe Elementary School.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

74-5118 Kealakaa St
Kailua Kona, HI 96740

(808) 327-4308

District: Hawaii Department of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
191^st of 207 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,425

Students who attend Kealakehe Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Kealakehe Intermediate School
High:	Kealakehe High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.9

Number of students: 900

Racial breakdown:

Pacific Islander:

48.8%

Hispanic:

18.7%

Two or more races:

18.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 67.6%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Kealakehe Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kealakehe Elementary School ranks worse than 92.3% of elementary schools in Hawaii. It also ranks 174^th among 183 ranked elementary schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.88. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Student population at Kealakehe Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Pacific Islander (48.8%), Hispanic (18.7%), two or more races (18.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 67.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Kealakehe Elementary School is 13.9, which is the 87^th best among 183 elementary schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District. (See more...)

Compare Kealakehe Elementary School employs 64.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kealakehe Elementary School is $15,425. 137 elementary schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kealakehe Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Kealakehe Elementary School 191^st of 207 Hawaii public elementary schools. (See Kealakehe Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Pacific Islander students:

White students:

Hawaii Department of Education:

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

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Kealakehe Elementary School.

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Your rating for Kealakehe Elementary School?

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Rank History for Kealakehe Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile
2006	51.48	84^th	194	56.7%
2007	32.73	139^th	192	27.6%
2008	23.79	120^th	146	17.8%
2009	34.23	141^st	191	26.2%
2010	19.61	158^th	183	13.7%
2011	30.43	150^th	191	21.5%
2012	30.39	154^th	195	21.0%
2013	25.32	166^th	196	15.3%
2015	26.69	150^th	194	22.7%
2016	11.59	181^st	195	7.2%
2017	17.93	178^th	207	14.0%
2018	12.48	178^th	193	7.8%
2019	10.94	184^th	196	6.1%
2021	7.05	192^nd	196	2.0%
2022	6.42	190^th	193	1.6%
2023	5.54	192^nd	195	1.5%
2024	12.88	191^st	207	7.7%

See the entire list of Hawaii Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	24.19	171^st	198	13.6%

See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	21.89	179^th	207	13.5%

See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	44.18	143^rd	203	29.6%

See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	21.13	133^rd	160	16.9%

See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	50.30	101^st	165	38.8%

See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	14.89	178^th	196	9.2%

See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	17.09	189^th	202	6.4%

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.

Data source: Hawaii Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, October 31, 2015

a great school that haß a wonderful support team for struggling learners. It has many programs for families and communities. Even with a high SE rate and growing ELL pop. The staff is very responsive and goes the extra mile for students.
From a grateful parent Close Quote

Enrollment information for Kealakehe Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	172	7	448	11	3	n/a	n/a	169	810
1989	244	3	514	13	5	n/a	n/a	0	779
1990	266	4	620	23	3	n/a	n/a	0	916
1991	300	20	618	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	947
1992	342	9	594	40	8	n/a	n/a	0	993
1993	326	4	556	37	6	n/a	n/a	-1	928
1994	314	7	562	37	5	n/a	n/a	0	925
1995	300	5	560	48	4	n/a	n/a	0	917
1996	300	5	560	48	4	n/a	n/a	0	917
1997	292	2	617	50	2	n/a	n/a	25	988
1998	267	2	650	52	1	n/a	n/a	0	972
1999	262	1	705	57	3	n/a	n/a	0	1028
2000	243	4	610	49	2	n/a	n/a	0	908
2001	257	6	670	46	5	n/a	n/a	0	984
2002	222	8	686	47	8	n/a	n/a	0	971
2003	222	8	686	47	8	n/a	n/a	0	971
2004	218	10	672	65	9	n/a	n/a	0	974
2005	216	9	701	54	9	n/a	n/a	0	989
2006	209	7	685	59	9	n/a	n/a	0	969
2007	214	6	694	73	12	n/a	n/a	0	999
2008	202	11	699	78	13	n/a	n/a	0	1003
2009	194	6	668	80	12	n/a	n/a	0	960
2010	189	5	690	71	11	n/a	n/a	0	966
2011	141	4	168	56	13	553	70	0	1005
2012	145	3	152	94	11	555	102	0	1062
2013	130	1	126	97	8	567	115	0	1044
2014	128	0	130	130	5	575	102	0	1070
2015	106	0	119	147	2	524	123	0	1021
2016	88	3	126	156	2	503	152	0	1030
2017	70	2	120	163	2	458	158	0	973
2018	66	3	100	181	1	462	173	0	986
2019	56	2	98	183	3	451	173	0	966
2020	55	1	101	172	0	427	173	0	929
2021	66	1	102	154	0	378	161	0	862
2022	67	1	78	151	0	366	158	0	821
2023	54	1	65	169	0	383	170	0	842
2024	55	1	74	168	0	439	163	0	900

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 Kealakehe Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	810	39.5	20.5	25.8
1989	779	43.0	18.1	28.2
1990	916	44.5	20.5	22.1
1991	947	48.0	19.7	18.3
1992	993	50.0	19.8	22.9
1993	928	50.0	18.6	20.3
1994	925	50.0	18.5	12.8
1995	917	48.0	19.1	22
1996	917	48.0	19.1	22
1997	988	55.0	18.0	40.2
1998	972	54.5	17.8	35
1999	1028	58.5	17.6	46.3
2000	908	49.0	18.5	47.6
2001	984	52.5	18.7	57.7
2002	971	58.0	16.7	51.4
2003	971	58.0	16.7	51.4
2004	974	57.0	17.1	53
2005	989	58.0	17.1	48.8
2006	969	62.0	15.6	46.1
2007	999	63.5	15.7	48.3
2008	1003	63.5	15.8	46.5
2009	960	61.5	15.6	51.3
2010	966	59.5	16.2	60.2
2011	1005	61.5	16.3	63.3
2012	1062	68.5	15.5	69.1
2013	1044	65.5	15.9	73.5
2014	1070	63.5	16.8	73.8
2015	1021	62.0	16.4	72.9
2016	1030	66.0	15.6	71.3
2017	973	62.5	15.5	68.1
2018	986	60.5	16.2	68.3
2019	966	65.5	14.7	67.5
2020	929	64.5	14.4	68
2021	862	63.5	13.5	72.6
2022	821	63.5	12.9	73.7
2023	842	55.5	15.1	64.8
2024	900	64.5	13.9	67.6

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 Kealakehe Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	810	39.5	20.5	25.8
1989	779	43.0	18.1	28.2
1990	916	44.5	20.5	22.1
1991	947	48.0	19.7	18.3
1992	993	50.0	19.8	22.9
1993	928	50.0	18.6	20.3
1994	925	50.0	18.5	12.8
1995	917	48.0	19.1	22
1996	917	48.0	19.1	22
1997	988	55.0	18.0	40.2
1998	972	54.5	17.8	35
1999	1028	58.5	17.6	46.3
2000	908	49.0	18.5	47.6
2001	984	52.5	18.7	57.7
2002	971	58.0	16.7	51.4
2003	971	58.0	16.7	51.4
2004	974	57.0	17.1	53
2005	989	58.0	17.1	48.8
2006	969	62.0	15.6	46.1
2007	999	63.5	15.7	48.3
2008	1003	63.5	15.8	46.5
2009	960	61.5	15.6	51.3
2010	966	59.5	16.2	60.2
2011	1005	61.5	16.3	63.3
2012	1062	68.5	15.5	69.1
2013	1044	65.5	15.9	73.5
2014	1070	63.5	16.8	73.8
2015	1021	62.0	16.4	72.9
2016	1030	66.0	15.6	71.3
2017	973	62.5	15.5	68.1
2018	986	60.5	16.2	68.3
2019	966	65.5	14.7	67.5
2020	929	64.5	14.4	68
2021	862	63.5	13.5	72.6
2022	821	63.5	12.9	73.7
2023	842	55.5	15.1	64.8
2024	900	64.5	13.9	67.6

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 Kealakehe Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,328 (8.6%)	$14,097 (91.4%)	$15,425

Data source: Hawaii Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kealakehe 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 184^th of 196 Elementary schools	Ranks 192^nd of 195 Elementary schools	4.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kealakehe Elementary School)	26	21	5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	53	49	4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Kealakehe Elementary School)	31	23	8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	56	52	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kealakehe Elementary School)	20	26	6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	52	51	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Kealakehe Elementary School)	22	21	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	49	50	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Kealakehe Elementary School)	34	17	17%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	57	55	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Kealakehe Elementary School)	30	11	19%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	44	44
All Grades English Language Arts (Kealakehe Elementary School)	28	21	7%
All Grades Mathematics (Kealakehe Elementary School)	28	18	10%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	966	842	12.8%
African American	2	1	50%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	98	65	33.7%
Hispanic	183	169	7.7%
Pacific Islander	451	383	15.1%
White	56	54	3.6%
Two or More Races	173	170	1.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	67.5%	64.8%	2.6%

Schools Near Kealakehe Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				HSA Science (2024)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2024)	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	HSA Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Kealakehe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	74-5118 Kealakaa St	Kailua Kona	96740	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 327-4308	900	65	13.9	67.6%	55 (6.1%)	1 (0.1%)	168 (18.7%)	74 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	439 (48.8%)	163 (18.1%)	12.9	191^st of 207 public elementary schools	7.7%		5.5	192^nd of 195 public elementary schools	1.5%	1	19.3	22.4	24.0	$15,425	$1,328	$14,097
Innovations - PCS	Public, Charter	K-8	75-5815 Queen Kaahumanu Hwy	Kailua Kona	96740	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 331-3130	240	13	18.4	48.3%	75 (31.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (18.8%)	19 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (10.0%)	77 (32.1%)	74.5	71^st of 207 public elementary schools	65.7%		74.1	49^th of 195 public elementary schools	74.9%	22	58.2	64.4	48.2	$8,835	$951	$7,884
Kahakai Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	76-147 Royal Poinciana Dr	Kailua Kona	96740	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 327-4313	538	32	16.8	52.0%	69 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	131 (24.3%)	66 (12.3%)	1 (0.2%)	169 (31.4%)	102 (19.0%)	32.1	149^th of 207 public elementary schools	28.0%		36.3	126^th of 195 public elementary schools	35.4%	23	43.2	37.6	32.8	$15,424	$1,299	$14,125
Holualoa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	76-5957 Mamalahoa Hwy	Holualoa	96725	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 322-4800	437	28	15.6	47.6%	106 (24.3%)	0 (0.0%)	122 (27.9%)	29 (6.6%)	2 (0.5%)	66 (15.1%)	112 (25.6%)	48.6	117^th of 207 public elementary schools	43.5%		29.8	141^st of 195 public elementary schools	27.7%	24	42.7	47.4	42.5	$15,490	$1,362	$14,128
Kona Pacific - PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	79-7595 Mamalahoa Hwy	Kealakekua	96750	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 322-4900	178	20	8.9	50.0%	88 (49.4%)	1 (0.6%)	40 (22.5%)	3 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.1%)	37 (20.8%)	46.3	125^th of 207 public elementary schools	39.6%		52.4	87^th of 195 public elementary schools	55.4%	38	50.0	49.5	33.3	$9,540	$1,357	$8,183
Konawaena Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	81-901 Onouli Rd	Kealakekua	96750	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 323-4555	530	36	14.7	54.5%	51 (9.6%)	1 (0.2%)	171 (32.3%)	38 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	145 (27.4%)	124 (23.4%)	45.3	129^th of 207 public elementary schools	37.7%		46.1	102^nd of 195 public elementary schools	47.7%	27	32.3	44.9	43.8	$16,620	$1,851	$14,769
Honaunau Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	83-5360 Mamalahoa Hwy	Captain Cook	96704	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 328-2727	145	10	14.5	76.6%	14 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (42.1%)	5 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (29.0%)	23 (15.9%)	67.9	84^th of 207 public elementary schools	59.4%		36.8	125^th of 195 public elementary schools	35.9%	41	44.4	54.6	56.1	$18,198	$1,976	$16,222

Kealakehe Elementary School

Kealakehe Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hawaii Department of Education:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Kealakehe Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Rank History for Special Education students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Rank History for Asian students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Rank History for African American students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Kealakehe Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Kealakehe Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kealakehe Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Kealakehe Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kealakehe Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Kealakehe Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Kealakehe Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Kealakehe Elementary School

Rate Kealakehe Elementary School!

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