Waialua Elementary School

Summary:

Waialua Elementary School is a public elementary school in Waialua, Hawaii, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 442 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.

Waialua Elementary School consistently performs well academically, ranking in the top 30% of Waialua Elementary School in recent years. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had 67.25% of students proficient or better in Smarter Balanced Assessments/English Language Arts and 59.74% proficient or better in Smarter Balanced Assessments/Mathematics, both significantly higher than the state averages. The school also performs exceptionally well for certain student subgroups, ranking 3rd out of 160 Hawaii elementary schools for African American students and 20th out of 202 for White students, both receiving 5 out of 5 SchoolDigger stars.

While Waialua Elementary School has a chronic absenteeism rate of 24.9% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is higher than the state average, it is still lower than some of the nearby schools. The school's diverse racial makeup, with 30.54% White, 23.08% Hispanic, 12.9% Asian, 11.54% Pacific Islander, and 21.72% two or more races, is noteworthy and reflects the broader diversity of the local community.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 67-020 Waialua Beach Rd
       Waialua, HI  96791


(808) 637-8228

District: Hawaii Department of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
42nd of 207 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,127 Help


Students who attend Waialua Elementary School usually attend:

High:    Waialua High & Intermediate School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.5 Help
Number of students:  442

Racial breakdown:

White:
30.5%
Hispanic:
23.1%
Two or more races:
21.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  45.5% Help


 See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

 Compare Waialua Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Waialua Elementary School ranks better than 79.7% of elementary schools in Hawaii. It also ranks 41st among 183 ranked elementary schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.77. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Waialua Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Hawaii Department of Education School District.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waialua Elementary School is $16,127. 105 elementary schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Waialua Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Waialua Elementary School 42nd of 207 Hawaii public elementary schools. (See Waialua 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 1st of 1 Hawaii school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Waialua Elementary School?

Rank History for Waialua Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Waialua Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 70.73 39th 194 79.9%
2007 82.73 24th 192 87.5%
2008 80.38 19th 146 87.0%
2009 77.06 32nd 191 83.2%
2010 80.26 26th 183 85.8%
2011 76.03 37th 191 80.6%
2012 77.13 35th 195 82.1%
2013 89.46 10th 196 94.9%
2015 77.16 39th 194 79.9%
2016 71.94 46th 195 76.4%
2017 88.12 31st 207 85.0%
2018 87.00 20th 193 89.6%
2019 87.99 17th 196 91.3%
2021 85.66 28th 196 85.7%
2022 82.36 34th 193 82.4%
2023 69.54 59th 195 69.7%
2024 83.77 42nd 207 79.7%
See the entire list of Hawaii Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Waialua Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 74.36 72nd 198 63.6%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Waialua Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 59.00 95th 207 54.1%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Waialua Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 66.11 89th 203 56.2%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Waialua Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 95.62 3rd 160 98.1%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waialua Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 57.54 87th 165 47.3%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Waialua Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 74.63 60th 196 69.4%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii Elementary Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Waialua Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 87.35 20th 202 90.1%
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.

Waialua Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Hawaii Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
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Reviews:
by a parent
Sunday, May 25, 2014

Open Quote It is refreshing to find a school with high standards that does not buy into the "everybody gets a trophy" mindset. What is more important, getting a solid education and learning how to function in the real world, or being protected from any negative feedback. In the long run, children are more happy when they are pushed and held to high standards. I know mine are. Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, October 15, 2012

Open Quote My daughter had been attending for three years and If I could afford private school I would jump at the chance! The kids at WES are awesome, school is clean, great curriculum, BUT, the teachers are incredibly disrespectful to the kids. They wil yell, scream, reprimand, and shame them. Just this morning my daughters teacher said to the class (3rd grade) and I quote, " I am so irritated at the dumb answers you guys are giving me this morning!" We are planning to move in order to enroll our daughter in another school, we've had enough. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Waialua 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 93 8 426 11 1 n/a n/a 0 539
1989 123 9 428 13 0 n/a n/a 0 573
1990 140 8 432 17 2 n/a n/a 0 599
1991 123 18 435 11 2 n/a n/a 0 589
1992 129 6 414 33 2 n/a n/a 0 584
1993 146 3 409 34 1 n/a n/a 0 593
1994 121 3 421 36 2 n/a n/a 0 583
1995 145 5 441 33 4 n/a n/a -1 627
1996 145 5 441 33 4 n/a n/a -1 627
1997 119 8 428 30 4 n/a n/a 2 591
1998 128 7 418 28 2 n/a n/a 0 583
1999 125 7 434 27 3 n/a n/a 0 596
2000 123 3 416 26 2 n/a n/a 0 570
2001 121 5 426 22 0 n/a n/a 0 574
2002 112 12 383 20 1 n/a n/a 0 528
2003 112 12 383 20 1 n/a n/a 0 528
2004 116 4 417 13 2 n/a n/a 0 552
2005 121 6 421 14 3 n/a n/a 0 565
2006 96 1 419 16 3 n/a n/a 0 535
2007 101 1 414 16 4 n/a n/a 0 536
2008 104 4 399 18 4 n/a n/a 0 529
2009 104 6 394 16 4 n/a n/a 0 524
2010 107 3 406 15 3 n/a n/a 0 534
2011 110 1 176 30 3 189 20 0 529
2012 86 2 157 47 2 167 54 0 515
2013 102 1 157 81 2 138 89 0 570
2014 89 2 145 94 0 138 119 0 587
2015 97 1 123 94 0 119 122 0 556
2016 109 2 119 106 0 98 132 0 566
2017 115 0 110 112 0 89 152 0 578
2018 109 0 96 110 3 77 153 0 548
2019 117 0 86 103 2 72 143 0 523
2020 134 1 72 100 3 72 138 0 520
2021 128 0 62 109 3 61 115 0 478
2022 135 0 63 97 2 63 112 0 472
2023 135 1 57 102 0 51 96 0 442

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 Waialua Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 539 28.5 18.9 41.2
1989 573 28.5 20.1 37
1990 599 31.5 19.0 33.2
1991 589 33.0 17.8 26.8
1992 584 33.5 17.4 23.3
1993 593 32.5 18.2 19.9
1994 583 31.0 18.8 16.8
1995 627 36.0 17.4 20.4
1996 627 36.0 17.4 20.4
1997 591 33.5 17.6 33.1
1998 583 31.5 18.5 29
1999 596 32.0 18.6 45.1
2000 570 38.0 15.0 53.2
2001 574 35.5 16.2 61.1
2002 528 34.0 15.5 54.2
2003 528 34.0 15.5 54.2
2004 552 32.0 17.3 46.2
2005 565 33.5 16.9 53.8
2006 535 32.0 16.7 51.4
2007 536 32.0 16.8 49.8
2008 529 33.5 15.8 50.7
2009 524 34.0 15.4 49
2010 534 33.0 16.1 52.1
2011 529 30.0 17.6 51.2
2012 515 30.0 17.1 53.6
2013 570 32.0 17.8 50.5
2014 587 30.0 19.5 54.2
2015 556 31.0 17.9 50.5
2016 566 31.0 18.2 45.8
2017 578 31.0 18.6 46.9
2018 548 31.0 17.6 49.8
2019 523 29.0 18.0 48.2
2020 520 30.0 17.3 44.8
2021 478 28.0 17.0 48.3
2022 472 28.0 16.8 48.7
2023 442 28.5 15.5 45.5

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 Waialua Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 539 28.5 18.9 41.2
1989 573 28.5 20.1 37
1990 599 31.5 19.0 33.2
1991 589 33.0 17.8 26.8
1992 584 33.5 17.4 23.3
1993 593 32.5 18.2 19.9
1994 583 31.0 18.8 16.8
1995 627 36.0 17.4 20.4
1996 627 36.0 17.4 20.4
1997 591 33.5 17.6 33.1
1998 583 31.5 18.5 29
1999 596 32.0 18.6 45.1
2000 570 38.0 15.0 53.2
2001 574 35.5 16.2 61.1
2002 528 34.0 15.5 54.2
2003 528 34.0 15.5 54.2
2004 552 32.0 17.3 46.2
2005 565 33.5 16.9 53.8
2006 535 32.0 16.7 51.4
2007 536 32.0 16.8 49.8
2008 529 33.5 15.8 50.7
2009 524 34.0 15.4 49
2010 534 33.0 16.1 52.1
2011 529 30.0 17.6 51.2
2012 515 30.0 17.1 53.6
2013 570 32.0 17.8 50.5
2014 587 30.0 19.5 54.2
2015 556 31.0 17.9 50.5
2016 566 31.0 18.2 45.8
2017 578 31.0 18.6 46.9
2018 548 31.0 17.6 49.8
2019 523 29.0 18.0 48.2
2020 520 30.0 17.3 44.8
2021 478 28.0 17.0 48.3
2022 472 28.0 16.8 48.7
2023 442 28.5 15.5 45.5

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 Waialua Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,320 (8.2%) $14,807 (91.8%) $16,127

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Waialua 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 17th of 196 Elementary schoolsRanks 59th of 195 Elementary schools
 21.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Waialua Elementary School)6557
 8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5349
 4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Waialua Elementary School)8367
 16%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)5652
 4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Waialua Elementary School)7047
 23%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5251
 1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Waialua Elementary School)7059
 11%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)4950
 1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Waialua Elementary School)7973
 6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5755
 2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Waialua Elementary School)6755
 12%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)4444
6th Grade English Language Arts (Waialua Elementary School)7967
 12%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5351
 2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Waialua Elementary School)6657
 9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)4139
 2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Waialua Elementary School)7461
 13%
All Grades Mathematics (Waialua Elementary School)7259
 13%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students523442
 15.5%
African American01
American Indian20
 100%
Asian8657
 33.7%
Hispanic103102
 1%
Pacific Islander7251
 29.2%
White117135
 15.4%
Two or More Races14396
 32.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients48.2%45.5%
 2.7%


Schools Near Waialua Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Waialua Elementary School

Students at Waialua Elementary School are 31% White, 23% Hispanic, 22% Two or more races, 13% Asian, 12% Pacific Islander.

Waialua Elementary School ranks 42nd of 207 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Waialua Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Waialua High & Intermediate School

In the 2022-23 school year, 442 students attended Waialua Elementary School.


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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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