Waipahu High School

Summary:

Waipahu High School is a public high school located in Waipahu, Hawaii, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 2,661 students. The school has a diverse student population, with the majority being Asian (63.4%) and Pacific Islander (18.94%) students, and is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district, which is ranked 1 out of 1 in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Waipahu High School consistently ranks among the top 20-25 high schools in Hawaii, with a current ranking of 11 out of 67 schools. The school's performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments is strong, with 64.02% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 29.38% in Mathematics for the 2023-2024 school year. Waipahu High School also performs exceptionally well in certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students (ranked 5 out of 52 high schools) and English Language Learner students (ranked 12 out of 59 high schools). Additionally, the school has a strong four-year graduation rate of 86.4%, which is higher than the state average, and a chronic absenteeism rate of 17.9%, which is lower than some of the nearby schools.

Compared to nearby schools, Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School, Leilehua High School, and Kapolei Charter School by Goodwill Hawaii, Waipahu High School has a significantly higher percentage of Asian and Pacific Islander students. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 49.19% to 51.87% over the past three school years, which is higher than some of the nearby schools, such as Moanalua High School (24.08%) and Kapolei High School (35.56%).


Detail:

Public 9-12

 94-1211 Farrington Hwy
       Waipahu, HI  96797


(808) 675-0222

District: Hawaii Department of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
11th of 67 Hawaii High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,940 Help


Feeder schools for Waipahu High School:

Elementary:    August Ahrens Elementary School
    Honowai Elementary School
    Kaleiopuu Elementary School
    Waikele Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    Waipahu Intermediate School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.5 Help
Number of students:  2,516

Racial breakdown:

Asian:
62.0%
Pacific Islander:
17.4%
Two or more races:
10.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  48.3% Help


 See top rated Hawaii high schools

 Compare Waipahu High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Waipahu High School ranks better than 83.6% of high schools in Hawaii. It also ranks 9th among 44 ranked high schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.36. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Waipahu High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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 Racial makeup is: Asian (62%), Pacific Islander (17.4%), two or more races (10.1%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 48.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Waipahu High School is 15.5. 27 high schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Waipahu High School employs 162 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Waipahu High School is $14,940. 33 high schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Waipahu High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Waipahu High School 11th of 67 Hawaii public high schools. (See Waipahu High School in the ranking list.)

High 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 Waipahu High School?

Rank History for Waipahu High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Waipahu High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 34.99 39th 56 30.4%
2007 36.51 44th 60 26.7%
2008 37.09 30th 39 23.1%
2009 39.16 38th 55 30.9%
2010 43.77 32nd 56 42.9%
2011 32.84 41st 56 26.8%
2012 50.32 32nd 58 44.8%
2013 53.87 27th 56 51.8%
2015 50.06 24th 51 52.9%
2016 52.51 26th 53 50.9%
2017 37.05 25th 63 60.3%
2018 64.43 17th 53 67.9%
2019 62.19 20th 52 61.5%
2021 66.42 20th 48 58.3%
2022 72.25 13th 52 75.0%
2023 74.64 13th 53 75.5%
2024 71.36 11th 67 83.6%
See the entire list of Hawaii High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Waipahu High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 59.25 12th 59 79.7%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Waipahu High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 80.49 9th 67 86.6%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Waipahu High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 65.55 20th 65 69.2%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Waipahu High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 55.36 29th 55 47.3%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Waipahu High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 80.41 5th 52 90.4%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Waipahu High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 49.54 30th 61 50.8%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii High Schools for Pacific Islander Students!

Rank History for White students at Waipahu High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools HI State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 62.54 14th 64 78.1%
See the entire list of Best Hawaii High 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.

Waipahu High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Hawaii Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3.5)
50%

0%

0%

50%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a student
Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Open Quote School is all right. Although some students need to be more mature, where are the teachers that are supposed to guide them to be mature?!?!?!? Close Quote


by a student
Sunday, February 1, 2009

Open Quote The students at Waipahu High School are very competitive against each other in terms or academics, and grade levels. The school is filled with diversity and harmony leaving everything in a good mix. There are many opportunities that students can take advantage of in order to succeed throughout their high school lives. The teachers offer rigorous work that inspires and enriches the minds of the students to do better.

"Man Cannot Discover New Oceans Unless He Has the Courage to Lose Sight of the Shore" - Acdre Gide Close Quote



Enrollment information for Waipahu High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 137 27 1783 43 3 n/a n/a 0 1993
1989 126 25 1732 38 2 n/a n/a 0 1923
1990 119 24 1721 38 3 n/a n/a 0 1905
1991 98 38 1698 22 4 n/a n/a 0 1860
1992 133 14 1668 60 2 n/a n/a 0 1877
1993 151 15 1688 64 2 n/a n/a -1 1919
1994 150 14 1730 68 5 n/a n/a 0 1967
1995 185 32 1932 60 5 n/a n/a 0 2214
1996 185 32 1932 60 5 n/a n/a 0 2214
1997 99 25 36 831 6 n/a n/a 1310 2307
1998 173 33 2068 76 7 n/a n/a 0 2357
1999 160 33 2153 82 6 n/a n/a 0 2434
2000 154 30 2103 64 7 n/a n/a 0 2358
2001 168 32 2154 53 4 n/a n/a 0 2411
2002 167 32 2129 44 1 n/a n/a 0 2373
2003 167 32 2129 44 1 n/a n/a 0 2373
2004 165 31 2091 50 1 n/a n/a 0 2338
2005 177 29 2196 54 2 n/a n/a 0 2458
2006 171 27 2295 47 4 n/a n/a 0 2544
2007 169 26 2334 44 3 n/a n/a 0 2576
2008 172 20 2325 45 2 n/a n/a 0 2564
2009 172 27 2279 42 3 n/a n/a 0 2523
2010 160 21 2231 40 6 n/a n/a 0 2458
2011 44 25 1708 33 3 594 49 0 2456
2012 51 28 1753 25 3 544 59 0 2463
2013 43 22 1732 36 5 543 69 0 2450
2014 50 24 1712 45 4 535 71 0 2441
2015 54 21 1736 53 4 553 73 0 2494
2016 42 26 1719 47 6 547 88 0 2475
2017 33 21 1735 62 6 514 92 0 2463
2018 26 17 1802 66 4 535 104 0 2554
2019 26 16 1847 74 4 585 130 0 2682
2020 32 19 1866 93 4 625 138 0 2777
2021 32 16 1857 129 4 599 172 0 2809
2022 26 14 1779 180 1 584 213 0 2797
2023 24 14 1687 207 2 504 223 0 2661
2024 26 12 1560 224 1 439 254 0 2516

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 Waipahu High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1993 99.5 20.0 11.9
1989 1923 95.0 20.2 10.2
1990 1905 98.5 19.3 12.7
1991 1860 98.0 18.9 13.9
1992 1877 99.0 18.9 6.6
1993 1919 111.5 17.2 8.5
1994 1967 111.0 17.7 6.2
1995 2214 117.0 18.9 8.1
1996 2214 117.0 18.9 8.1
1997 2307 123.5 18.7 54.1
1998 2357 131.5 17.9 24.6
1999 2434 132.0 18.4 34.4
2000 2358 133.0 17.7 37.2
2001 2411 132.0 18.3 42.7
2002 2373 128.0 18.5 42
2003 2373 128.0 18.5 42
2004 2338 140.0 16.7 49.4
2005 2458 143.5 17.1 55.6
2006 2544 148.5 17.1 44.6
2007 2576 151.5 17.0 45.9
2008 2564 148.5 17.3 48.9
2009 2523 151.0 16.7 47.3
2010 2458 143.5 17.1 49.1
2011 2456 144.5 16.9 50.1
2012 2463 142.0 17.3 54.3
2013 2450 148.0 16.5 56.7
2014 2441 158.5 15.4 56.5
2015 2494 154.0 16.1 55.8
2016 2475 160.0 15.4 52.9
2017 2463 157.0 15.6 51.9
2018 2554 156.5 16.3 50.2
2019 2682 159.0 16.8 50.2
2020 2777 164.0 16.9 50.2
2021 2809 169.0 16.6 51.9
2022 2797 169.0 16.5 50.4
2023 2661 165.0 16.1 49.2
2024 2516 162.0 15.5 48.3

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 Waipahu High School

Help
Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1993 99.5 20.0 11.9
1989 1923 95.0 20.2 10.2
1990 1905 98.5 19.3 12.7
1991 1860 98.0 18.9 13.9
1992 1877 99.0 18.9 6.6
1993 1919 111.5 17.2 8.5
1994 1967 111.0 17.7 6.2
1995 2214 117.0 18.9 8.1
1996 2214 117.0 18.9 8.1
1997 2307 123.5 18.7 54.1
1998 2357 131.5 17.9 24.6
1999 2434 132.0 18.4 34.4
2000 2358 133.0 17.7 37.2
2001 2411 132.0 18.3 42.7
2002 2373 128.0 18.5 42
2003 2373 128.0 18.5 42
2004 2338 140.0 16.7 49.4
2005 2458 143.5 17.1 55.6
2006 2544 148.5 17.1 44.6
2007 2576 151.5 17.0 45.9
2008 2564 148.5 17.3 48.9
2009 2523 151.0 16.7 47.3
2010 2458 143.5 17.1 49.1
2011 2456 144.5 16.9 50.1
2012 2463 142.0 17.3 54.3
2013 2450 148.0 16.5 56.7
2014 2441 158.5 15.4 56.5
2015 2494 154.0 16.1 55.8
2016 2475 160.0 15.4 52.9
2017 2463 157.0 15.6 51.9
2018 2554 156.5 16.3 50.2
2019 2682 159.0 16.8 50.2
2020 2777 164.0 16.9 50.2
2021 2809 169.0 16.6 51.9
2022 2797 169.0 16.5 50.4
2023 2661 165.0 16.1 49.2
2024 2516 162.0 15.5 48.3

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 Waipahu High School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,345 (9.0%) $13,595 (91.0%) $14,940

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Waipahu High 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 20th of 52 High schoolsRanks 13th of 53 High schools
 13.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Waipahu High School)5863
 5%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)5959
11th Grade Mathematics (Waipahu High School)3530
 5%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)3025
 5%
All Grades English Language Arts (Waipahu High School)5863
 5%
All Grades Mathematics (Waipahu High School)3529
 6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students26822661
 0.8%
African American1614
 12.5%
American Indian42
 50%
Asian18471687
 8.7%
Hispanic74207
 179.7%
Pacific Islander585504
 13.8%
White2624
 7.7%
Two or More Races130223
 71.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients50.2%49.2%
 1%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Waipahu High School

Waipahu High School ranks 11th of 67 Hawaii high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Waipahu High School are 62% Asian, 17% Pacific Islander, 10% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 1% White.

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,516 students attended Waipahu High 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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