Is Kaala Elementary School a good school?

Kaala Elementary School ranks 106 th of 207 Hawaii elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Kaala Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 384 students attended Kaala Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Kaala Elementary School?

Students at Kaala Elementary School are 40% Pacific Islander, 29% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 12% Two or more races, 1% White.

What schools do graduates of Kaala Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Kaala Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Wahiawa Middle School High : Leilehua High School

Kaala Elementary School

Summary:

Kaala Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Wahiawa, Hawaii, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 384 students. The school has a diverse student population, with the largest racial groups being Pacific Islander (40.1%), Hispanic (28.65%), and Asian (17.19%). Kaala Elementary 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.

Kaala Elementary School has consistently ranked in the lower half of Hawaii elementary schools, maintaining a 2-star rating out of 5 from SchoolDigger for the majority of the years, indicating below-average performance compared to other Hawaii elementary schools. The school's proficiency rates in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally lower than the state averages, with only around 45-50% of students proficient or better. Additionally, Kaala Elementary School has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 28.3% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Interestingly, Kaala Elementary School's performance is generally lower than the nearby schools in the Wahiawa and Mililani areas, such as Iliahi Elementary, Kipapa Elementary, and Mililani Mauka Elementary, which have higher rankings, proficiency rates, and lower chronic absenteeism. Addressing the challenges faced by Kaala Elementary School, such as high chronic absenteeism and lower academic performance, through targeted strategies and interventions could be crucial for improving student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

130 California Ave
Wahiawa, HI 96786

(808) 622-6366

District: Hawaii Department of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
106^th of 207 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,745

Students who attend Kaala Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Wahiawa Middle School
High:	Leilehua High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.0

Number of students: 384

Racial breakdown:

Pacific Islander:

40.1%

Hispanic:

28.6%

Asian:

17.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 70.6%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Kaala Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Kaala Elementary School ranks worse than 51.2% of elementary schools in Hawaii. It also ranks 101^st 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 54.13. (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 Kaala Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Hawaii Department of Education School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Kaala Elementary School is $17,745, which is the 42^nd highest among 183 elementary schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Kaala Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Kaala Elementary School 106^th of 207 Hawaii public elementary schools. (See Kaala 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 1^st of 1 Hawaii school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Kaala Elementary School.

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Rank History for Kaala Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Kaala Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile
2006	15.11	180^th	194	7.2%
2007	36.86	133^rd	192	30.7%
2008	47.43	87^th	146	40.4%
2009	57.07	78^th	191	59.2%
2010	46.36	112^th	183	38.8%
2011	39.00	129^th	191	32.5%
2012	57.24	82^nd	195	57.9%
2013	48.67	105^th	196	46.4%
2015	39.14	122^nd	194	37.1%
2016	54.58	93^rd	195	52.3%
2017	66.98	73^rd	207	64.7%
2018	46.17	104^th	193	46.1%
2019	48.28	101^st	196	48.5%
2021	31.58	130^th	196	33.7%
2022	32.85	134^th	193	30.6%
2023	41.70	116^th	195	40.5%
2024	54.13	106^th	207	48.8%

See the entire list of Hawaii Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Kaala Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	78.73	61^st	198	69.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Kaala Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	50.50	117^th	207	43.5%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Kaala Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	60.49	107^th	203	47.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kaala Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	0.00	138^th	165	16.4%

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

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Kaala Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	60.28	89^th	196	54.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Kaala Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	72.27	71^st	202	64.9%

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: 3)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Sunday, December 12, 2010

Ka'ala is focused on student academic achievement and addressing the needs of all students. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Kaala Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	68	21	415	27	6	n/a	n/a	0	537
1989	67	17	427	27	4	n/a	n/a	0	542
1990	66	14	463	23	7	n/a	n/a	0	573
1991	89	24	442	19	7	n/a	n/a	0	581
1992	81	15	456	38	6	n/a	n/a	0	596
1993	80	19	419	32	6	n/a	n/a	-1	555
1994	66	16	427	41	6	n/a	n/a	0	556
1995	73	19	437	29	5	n/a	n/a	0	563
1996	73	19	437	29	5	n/a	n/a	0	563
1997	75	23	419	25	5	n/a	n/a	3	550
1998	75	23	440	31	4	n/a	n/a	0	573
1999	66	18	431	30	4	n/a	n/a	0	549
2000	52	22	426	26	3	n/a	n/a	0	529
2001	49	22	430	26	2	n/a	n/a	0	529
2002	71	13	395	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	502
2003	71	13	395	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	502
2004	70	8	396	27	3	n/a	n/a	0	504
2005	68	6	384	33	2	n/a	n/a	0	493
2006	50	8	357	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	443
2007	56	8	344	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	433
2008	40	7	351	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	418
2009	39	18	337	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	418
2010	39	10	356	31	1	n/a	n/a	0	437
2011	17	9	132	24	1	212	57	0	452
2012	11	9	125	32	1	228	58	0	464
2013	8	5	113	42	2	206	66	0	442
2014	10	7	122	80	1	245	46	0	511
2015	10	4	100	87	1	188	47	0	437
2016	9	4	96	108	0	155	46	0	418
2017	16	2	99	93	0	150	52	0	412
2018	14	3	94	89	1	156	54	0	411
2019	7	3	98	113	1	175	57	0	454
2020	5	2	90	112	1	178	53	0	441
2021	6	3	91	115	1	186	57	0	459
2022	7	3	77	125	0	163	47	0	422
2023	5	3	66	110	0	154	46	0	384

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 Kaala Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	537	30.0	17.9	43
1989	542	27.0	20.0	42.4
1990	573	28.0	20.4	37.3
1991	581	30.0	19.3	30.1
1992	596	30.0	19.8	33.9
1993	555	30.0	18.5	27.9
1994	556	30.0	18.5	21.4
1995	563	31.0	18.2	22.9
1996	563	31.0	18.2	22.9
1997	550	28.0	19.6	48.1
1998	573	27.0	21.2	42.9
1999	549	28.0	19.6	51.9
2000	529	31.0	17.1	63.9
2001	529	32.0	16.5	73.5
2002	502	32.0	15.7	72.1
2003	502	32.0	15.7	72.1
2004	504	33.0	15.3	73.4
2005	493	34.5	14.3	81.7
2006	443	32.5	13.6	78.8
2007	433	32.5	13.3	77.4
2008	418	30.5	13.7	78
2009	418	28.5	14.7	75.6
2010	437	29.5	14.8	78.7
2011	452	32.5	13.9	81.9
2012	464	32.5	14.2	82.3
2013	442	32.0	13.8	83.9
2014	511	29.0	17.6	86.5
2015	437	28.0	15.6	85.8
2016	418	28.0	14.9	82.5
2017	412	29.0	14.2	77.7
2018	411	29.0	14.1	74.9
2019	454	30.0	15.1	73.3
2020	441	33.0	13.3	69.6
2021	459	33.0	13.9	71
2022	422	33.0	12.7	74.6
2023	384	32.0	12.0	70.6

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 Kaala Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	537	30.0	17.9	43
1989	542	27.0	20.0	42.4
1990	573	28.0	20.4	37.3
1991	581	30.0	19.3	30.1
1992	596	30.0	19.8	33.9
1993	555	30.0	18.5	27.9
1994	556	30.0	18.5	21.4
1995	563	31.0	18.2	22.9
1996	563	31.0	18.2	22.9
1997	550	28.0	19.6	48.1
1998	573	27.0	21.2	42.9
1999	549	28.0	19.6	51.9
2000	529	31.0	17.1	63.9
2001	529	32.0	16.5	73.5
2002	502	32.0	15.7	72.1
2003	502	32.0	15.7	72.1
2004	504	33.0	15.3	73.4
2005	493	34.5	14.3	81.7
2006	443	32.5	13.6	78.8
2007	433	32.5	13.3	77.4
2008	418	30.5	13.7	78
2009	418	28.5	14.7	75.6
2010	437	29.5	14.8	78.7
2011	452	32.5	13.9	81.9
2012	464	32.5	14.2	82.3
2013	442	32.0	13.8	83.9
2014	511	29.0	17.6	86.5
2015	437	28.0	15.6	85.8
2016	418	28.0	14.9	82.5
2017	412	29.0	14.2	77.7
2018	411	29.0	14.1	74.9
2019	454	30.0	15.1	73.3
2020	441	33.0	13.3	69.6
2021	459	33.0	13.9	71
2022	422	33.0	12.7	74.6
2023	384	32.0	12.0	70.6

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 Kaala Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,753 (9.9%)	$15,992 (90.1%)	$17,745

Data source: Hawaii Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Kaala 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 101^st of 196 Elementary schools	Ranks 116^th of 195 Elementary schools	8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kaala Elementary School)	49	56	7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	53	49	4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Kaala Elementary School)	53	52	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	56	52	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Kaala Elementary School)	60	50	10%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	52	51	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Kaala Elementary School)	51	49	2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	49	50	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Kaala Elementary School)	52	37	15%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	57	55	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Kaala Elementary School)	40	33	7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	44	44
All Grades English Language Arts (Kaala Elementary School)	53	48	5%
All Grades Mathematics (Kaala Elementary School)	49	45	4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	454	384	15.4%
African American	3	3
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	98	66	32.7%
Hispanic	113	110	2.7%
Pacific Islander	175	154	12%
White	7	5	28.6%
Two or More Races	57	46	19.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73.3%	70.6%	2.8%

Schools Near Kaala 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
Kaala Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	130 California Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6366	384	32	12.0	70.6%	5 (1.3%)	3 (0.8%)	110 (28.6%)	66 (17.2%)	0 (0.0%)	154 (40.1%)	46 (12.0%)	54.1	106^th of 207 public elementary schools	48.8%		41.7	116^th of 195 public elementary schools	40.5%	10	36.4	48.3	49.4	$17,745	$1,753	$15,992
Major Sheldon Wheeler Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Wheeler Army Airfield	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6400	635	43	14.7	37.8%	230 (36.2%)	70 (11.0%)	186 (29.3%)	24 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.6%)	96 (15.1%)	80.4	52^nd of 207 public elementary schools	74.9%		65	64^th of 195 public elementary schools	67.2%	12	62.0	63.2	58.2	$15,947	$1,187	$14,760
Daniel K Inouye Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	Waianae & Ayres Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 622-6380	623	37	16.8	27.6%	282 (45.3%)	84 (13.5%)	154 (24.7%)	17 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.6%)	69 (11.1%)	48.3	119^th of 207 public elementary schools	42.5%		45.3	104^th of 195 public elementary schools	46.7%	15	51.6	45.4	41.1	$15,984	$1,114	$14,870
Wahiawa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1402 Glen Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6393	436	32	13.6	65.4%	32 (7.3%)	10 (2.3%)	117 (26.8%)	58 (13.3%)	0 (0.0%)	132 (30.3%)	87 (20.0%)	49.4	113^th of 207 public elementary schools	45.4%		59.5	74^th of 195 public elementary schools	62.1%	39	28.0	45.4	47.2	$17,407	$1,308	$16,099
Kamalani Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	1403 California Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 203-2992	156	14	11.1	48.1%	27 (17.3%)	2 (1.3%)	38 (24.4%)	9 (5.8%)	1 (0.6%)	43 (27.6%)	36 (23.1%)	18.1	178^th of 207 public elementary schools	14.0%		14	177^th of 195 public elementary schools	9.2%	1	42.9	27.4	12.9	$8,212	$1,819	$6,393
Helemano Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 Ihi Ihi Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6336	457	40	11.4	58.0%	30 (6.6%)	23 (5.0%)	97 (21.2%)	145 (31.7%)	4 (0.9%)	54 (11.8%)	104 (22.8%)	76.7	64^th of 207 public elementary schools	69.1%		55.7	82^nd of 195 public elementary schools	57.9%	18	46.7	62.6	59.6	$17,669	$1,595	$16,074
Sergeant Samuel K Solomon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Schofield Barracks	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 624-9500	762	54	14.1	60.8%	263 (34.5%)	103 (13.5%)	237 (31.1%)	33 (4.3%)	2 (0.3%)	41 (5.4%)	83 (10.9%)	48.8	115^th of 207 public elementary schools	44.4%		34	130^th of 195 public elementary schools	33.3%	15	40.0	51.2	38.3	$16,452	$1,545	$14,907
Iliahi Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2035 California Ave	Wahiawa	96786	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 622-6411	333	23	14.4	53.8%	18 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (26.4%)	51 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	85 (25.5%)	91 (27.3%)	80.6	51^st of 207 public elementary schools	75.4%		83.7	27^th of 195 public elementary schools	86.2%	24	53.7	64.5	60.4	$17,456	$1,564	$15,892
Kipapa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	95-076 Kipapa Dr	Mililani	96789	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 627-7322	518	34	15.2	47.1%	21 (4.1%)	3 (0.6%)	131 (25.3%)	105 (20.3%)	0 (0.0%)	79 (15.3%)	179 (34.6%)	86.5	36^th of 207 public elementary schools	82.6%		51.2	90^th of 195 public elementary schools	53.8%	54	63.2	66.0	66.8	$17,333	$1,364	$15,969
Mililani Mauka Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	95-1111 Makaikai St	Mililani	96789	Honolulu County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	No	(808) 626-3350	673	44	15.2	16.2%	30 (4.5%)	10 (1.5%)	118 (17.5%)	209 (31.1%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (10.0%)	239 (35.5%)	97.5	3^rd of 207 public elementary schools	98.6%		93	10^th of 195 public elementary schools	94.9%	7	82.1	80.3	83.4	$16,448	$1,084	$15,364

Kaala Elementary School

Kaala Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hawaii Department of Education:

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Kaala Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Kaala Elementary School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Kaala Elementary School

Rank History for Special Education students at Kaala Elementary School

Rank History for Asian students at Kaala Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Kaala Elementary School

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Kaala Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Kaala Elementary School

Review counts

Enrollment information for Kaala Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Kaala Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Kaala Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Kaala Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Kaala Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Kaala Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Kaala Elementary School

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