Is Keaau Elementary School a good school?

Keaau Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.4% of Hawaii elementary schools.

How many students attend Keaau Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 821 students attended Keaau Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Keaau Elementary School?

Students at Keaau Elementary School are 29% Hispanic, 28% Pacific Islander, 22% Two or more races, 14% Asian, 7% White.

What schools do graduates of Keaau Elementary School attend?

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

Keaau Elementary School

Summary:

Keaau Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in Keaau, Hawaii, which is part of the Hawaii Department of Education district. The school has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup that includes 6.94% White, 28.87% Hispanic, 14.25% Asian, 27.53% Pacific Islander, and 21.8% two or more races.

Keaau Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Hawaii elementary schools, ranking between 162-171 out of 193-207 schools in recent years. It has been rated 1 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger for the past several years, indicating it is performing below average compared to other elementary schools in the state. The school's academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is significantly below the state average, with only 33% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 31% proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 49-55% and 44-52% respectively. Additionally, Keaau Elementary School has a very high chronic absenteeism rate of 42.1%, which is significantly higher than the state average and most of the nearby schools.

When comparing Keaau Elementary School to the nearby schools in the same district, such as Kaumana Elementary and Waiakea Elementary, it generally performs worse on key metrics like test scores, chronic absenteeism, and statewide rankings. The school's performance on standardized tests is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as English Language Learners, Pacific Islander students, and Hispanic students. Keaau Elementary School's performance, as measured by its statewide ranking and rating, has also declined over the past several years.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

16-680 Keaau-Pahoa Rd
Keaau, HI 96749

(808) 982-4210

District: Hawaii Department of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
171^st of 207 Hawaii Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,336

Students who attend Keaau Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Keaau Middle School
High:	Keaau High School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.2

Number of students: 821

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

28.9%

Pacific Islander:

27.5%

Two or more races:

21.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63%

See top rated Hawaii elementary schools

Compare Keaau Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Keaau Elementary School ranks worse than 82.6% of elementary schools in Hawaii. It also ranks 157^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 21.38. (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 Keaau 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 Keaau Elementary School is $16,336. 94 elementary schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Keaau Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Keaau Elementary School 171^st of 207 Hawaii public elementary schools. (See Keaau 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.)

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Your rating for Keaau Elementary School?

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Rank History for Keaau Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Keaau Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile
2006	29.39	147^th	194	24.2%
2007	37.19	132^nd	192	31.3%
2008	39.93	98^th	146	32.9%
2009	52.18	95^th	191	50.3%
2010	50.76	99^th	183	45.9%
2011	43.27	115^th	191	39.8%
2012	50.47	104^th	195	46.7%
2013	57.83	79^th	196	59.7%
2015	54.51	86^th	194	55.7%
2016	38.58	126^th	195	35.4%
2017	52.96	109^th	207	47.3%
2018	23.08	162^nd	193	16.1%
2019	22.43	165^th	196	15.8%
2021	16.51	171^st	196	12.8%
2022	16.65	170^th	193	11.9%
2023	19.79	166^th	195	14.9%
2024	21.38	171^st	207	17.4%

See the entire list of Hawaii Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Keaau Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	32.87	165^th	198	16.7%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Keaau Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	54.06	107^th	207	48.3%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Keaau Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	35.32	160^th	203	21.2%

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

Rank History for African American students at Keaau Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	28.05	131^st	160	18.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Keaau Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	15.02	137^th	165	17.0%

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

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Keaau Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	34.81	146^th	196	25.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Keaau Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	37.76	149^th	202	26.2%

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

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Keaau Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1999	171	5	597	59	4	n/a	n/a	836
2000	158	7	587	61	8	n/a	n/a	821
2001	138	5	580	69	6	n/a	n/a	798
2002	139	6	578	67	3	n/a	n/a	793
2003	139	6	578	67	3	n/a	n/a	793
2004	118	4	587	72	11	n/a	n/a	792
2005	100	5	571	64	12	n/a	n/a	752
2006	91	6	585	56	13	n/a	n/a	751
2007	89	6	604	47	16	n/a	n/a	762
2008	89	8	601	49	15	n/a	n/a	762
2009	82	5	624	46	16	n/a	n/a	773
2010	111	8	642	40	15	n/a	n/a	816
2011	75	10	249	27	17	362	58	798
2012	67	6	240	62	10	333	65	783
2013	63	4	226	97	9	300	75	774
2014	77	6	201	127	6	321	88	826
2015	74	7	178	150	5	288	103	805
2016	76	6	165	167	5	276	122	817
2017	66	4	145	210	4	234	154	817
2018	60	1	133	246	5	264	166	875
2019	67	0	132	245	6	266	160	876
2020	44	1	136	263	3	250	163	860
2021	39	1	137	256	0	231	176	840
2022	49	1	132	242	2	241	189	856
2023	57	3	117	237	2	226	179	821

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 Keaau Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	836	40.5	20.6	64.2
2000	821	52.0	15.8	59.3
2001	798	52.0	15.3	76.2
2002	793	45.5	17.4	72.6
2003	793	45.5	17.4	72.6
2004	792	48.0	16.5	74.4
2005	752	48.0	15.7	73.9
2006	751	47.0	16.0	70.4
2007	762	48.5	15.7	68.9
2008	762	49.5	15.4	59.7
2009	773	52.0	14.9	68.2
2010	816	52.0	15.6	68
2011	798	51.0	15.6	74.9
2012	783	50.0	15.6	76.9
2013	774	51.0	15.1	76.1
2014	826	53.0	15.5	75.1
2015	805	46.0	17.5	74.5
2016	817	49.0	16.6	74.3
2017	817	44.0	18.5	71.6
2018	875	48.0	18.2	72
2019	876	46.0	19.0	73.2
2020	860	55.0	15.6	71.3
2021	840	54.0	15.5	70
2022	856	54.0	15.8	70
2023	821	54.0	15.2	63

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 Keaau Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	836	40.5	20.6	64.2
2000	821	52.0	15.8	59.3
2001	798	52.0	15.3	76.2
2002	793	45.5	17.4	72.6
2003	793	45.5	17.4	72.6
2004	792	48.0	16.5	74.4
2005	752	48.0	15.7	73.9
2006	751	47.0	16.0	70.4
2007	762	48.5	15.7	68.9
2008	762	49.5	15.4	59.7
2009	773	52.0	14.9	68.2
2010	816	52.0	15.6	68
2011	798	51.0	15.6	74.9
2012	783	50.0	15.6	76.9
2013	774	51.0	15.1	76.1
2014	826	53.0	15.5	75.1
2015	805	46.0	17.5	74.5
2016	817	49.0	16.6	74.3
2017	817	44.0	18.5	71.6
2018	875	48.0	18.2	72
2019	876	46.0	19.0	73.2
2020	860	55.0	15.6	71.3
2021	840	54.0	15.5	70
2022	856	54.0	15.8	70
2023	821	54.0	15.2	63

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 Keaau Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,183 (7.2%)	$15,153 (92.8%)	$16,336

Data source: Hawaii Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Keaau 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 165^th of 196 Elementary schools	Ranks 166^th of 195 Elementary schools	0.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Keaau Elementary School)	44	44
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	53	49	4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Keaau Elementary School)	49	55	6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	56	52	4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Keaau Elementary School)	31	30	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	52	51	1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Keaau Elementary School)	22	25	3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	49	50	1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Keaau Elementary School)	41	26	15%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	57	55	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Keaau Elementary School)	26	15	11%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	44	44
All Grades English Language Arts (Keaau Elementary School)	40	33	7%
All Grades Mathematics (Keaau Elementary School)	34	31	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	876	821	6.3%
African American	0	3
American Indian	6	2	66.7%
Asian	132	117	11.4%
Hispanic	245	237	3.3%
Pacific Islander	266	226	15%
White	67	57	14.9%
Two or More Races	160	179	11.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	73.2%	63%	10.2%

Schools Near Keaau 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
Keaau Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	16-680 Keaau-Pahoa Rd	Keaau	96749	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 982-4210	821	54	15.2	63.0%	57 (6.9%)	3 (0.4%)	237 (28.9%)	117 (14.3%)	2 (0.2%)	226 (27.5%)	179 (21.8%)	21.4	171^st of 207 public elementary schools	17.4%		19.8	166^th of 195 public elementary schools	14.9%	5	21.7	34.2	28.6	$16,336	$1,183	$15,153
Ke Kula o Nawahiokalaniopuu Iki - Laboratory PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	16-120 Opukahaia St	Keaau	96749	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 982-4260	460	40	11.5	56.3%	12 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (15.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	328 (71.3%)	45 (9.8%)	1.7	206^th of 207 public elementary schools	0.5%					(n/a)	14.3	3.7	3.0	$11,792	$3,474	$8,318
Kua o ka La - NCPCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	345 Makalika	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 981-5866	164	13	12.6	81.7%	31 (18.9%)	2 (1.2%)	46 (28.0%)	2 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (31.1%)	32 (19.5%)	21.2	172^nd of 207 public elementary schools	16.9%		25.1	154^th of 195 public elementary schools	21.0%	18	25.0	39.0	18.8	$17,711	$6,696	$11,015
Waiakeawaena Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2420 Kilauea Ave	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 981-7200	684	51	13.4	51.9%	32 (4.7%)	1 (0.1%)	196 (28.7%)	82 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	160 (23.4%)	213 (31.1%)	59.6	90^th of 207 public elementary schools	56.5%		55.9	81^st of 195 public elementary schools	58.5%	9	56.5	45.8	51.1	$16,286	$1,496	$14,790
Mountain View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	18-1235 Volcano Hwy	Mountain View	96771	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 968-2300	493	36	13.8	78.3%	63 (12.8%)	2 (0.4%)	182 (36.9%)	16 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	136 (27.6%)	94 (19.1%)	37.5	140^th of 207 public elementary schools	32.4%		9.8	185^th of 195 public elementary schools	5.1%	45	35.8	41.9	37.9	$17,850	$1,456	$16,394
Waiakea Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	180 W Puainako St	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 981-7215	789	53	14.8	55.5%	31 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	174 (22.1%)	106 (13.4%)	0 (0.0%)	243 (30.8%)	235 (29.8%)	56.8	97^th of 207 public elementary schools	53.1%		43.2	111^th of 195 public elementary schools	43.1%	14	56.4	47.8	45.7	$15,167	$1,077	$14,090
Na Wai Ola - PCS	Public, Charter	PK, KG-6	18-1355 Volcano Hwy	Mountain View	96771	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 968-2318	96	18	5.3	55.2%	18 (18.8%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (26.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (33.3%)	21 (21.9%)	9.1	194^th of 207 public elementary schools	6.3%		11	182^nd of 195 public elementary schools	6.7%	12	14.3	26.3	16.1	$11,373	$3,833	$7,540
Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	966 Kilauea Ave	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 974-4160	375	28	13.3	70.9%	10 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (26.4%)	36 (9.6%)	0 (0.0%)	141 (37.6%)	89 (23.7%)	14.3	187^th of 207 public elementary schools	9.7%		8.9	187^th of 195 public elementary schools	4.1%		35.9	26.5	19.5	$17,738	$1,684	$16,054
Keaukaha Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	240 Desha Ave	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 974-4181	369	29	12.7	67.8%	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	111 (30.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	208 (56.4%)	44 (11.9%)	34.2	146^th of 207 public elementary schools	29.5%		27.5	148^th of 195 public elementary schools	24.1%	2	43.2	41.1	32.9	$18,443	$2,308	$16,135
Kaumana Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1710 Kaumana Dr	Hilo	96720	Hawaii County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 974-4190	240	17	14.1	52.1%	12 (5.0%)	1 (0.4%)	89 (37.1%)	10 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (25.8%)	66 (27.5%)	70.2	79^th of 207 public elementary schools	61.8%		49.8	92^nd of 195 public elementary schools	52.8%	13	68.0	58.1	48.4	$17,553	$1,304	$16,249

Keaau Elementary School

Keaau Elementary School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hawaii Department of Education:

What do you think?

Rank History for Keaau Elementary School

Rank History for all students at Keaau Elementary School

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Keaau Elementary School

Rank History for Special Education students at Keaau Elementary School

Rank History for Asian students at Keaau Elementary School

Rank History for African American students at Keaau Elementary School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Keaau Elementary School

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Keaau Elementary School

Rank History for White students at Keaau Elementary School

Enrollment information for Keaau Elementary School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Keaau Elementary School

Student/Teacher Ratio Keaau Elementary School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Keaau Elementary School

Impact of COVID-19 on Keaau Elementary School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Keaau Elementary School

Frequently Asked Questions about Keaau Elementary School

Rate Keaau Elementary School!

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