Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Q: Is Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School a good school?

Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School ranks 23 rd of 89 Hawaii middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School is a public middle school located in Lihue, Hawaii, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 808 students. The school 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.

Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School consistently performs above the state average in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics across all grade levels. In the 2022-2023 school year, the school's ELA proficiency rate for all grades was 53%, compared to the state averages of 51% for 6th, 51% for 7th, and 50% for 8th grade. Similarly, the school's Mathematics proficiency rate for all grades was 44%, compared to the state averages of 39% for 6th, 34% for 7th, and 31% for 8th grade. However, the school's Science proficiency rate, as measured by the Hawaii State Assessment (HSA), was 33% in 2022-2023, which is lower than the state average of 40% for 8th grade.

While Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School performs particularly well in serving its Asian and White student populations, the school's performance for its African American, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander student subgroups is more mixed. Additionally, the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 23.7% for the 2023-2024 school year is higher than the state average, which could be a contributing factor to the lower performance in Science proficiency. The school's spending per student for the 2018-2019 school year was $14,792, which is higher than the spending per student at the nearby Waimea Canyon Middle School ($15,564) and Kapaa Middle School ($14,928).

Detail:

Public 6-8

4431 Nuhou St
Lihue, HI 96766

(808) 241-3200

District: Hawaii Department of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
23^rd of 89 Hawaii Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,792

Students who attend Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School usually attend:

High:

Kauai High School

Feeder schools for Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School:

Elementary:	Elsie H Wilcox Elementary School
	Kalaheo Elementary School
	King Kaumualii Elementary School
	Koloa Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 846

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

25.8%

Two or more races:

25.8%

Hispanic:

20.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48%

See top rated Hawaii middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School ranks better than 74.2% of middle schools in Hawaii. It also ranks 15^th among 40 ranked middle schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 58.84. (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 Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (25.8%), two or more races (25.8%), Hispanic (20.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 48% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School is 14.5, which is the 18^th best among 40 middle schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District. (See more...)

Compare Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School employs 58 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School is $14,792. 33 middle schools in the Hawaii Department of Education School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School 23^rd of 89 Hawaii public middle schools. (See Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle 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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Rank History for Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	HI State Percentile
2006	62.79	21^st	69	69.6%
2007	72.89	13^th	71	81.7%
2008	72.90	9^th	46	80.4%
2009	69.22	16^th	68	76.5%
2010	71.42	12^th	65	81.5%
2011	51.90	28^th	71	60.6%
2012	61.91	22^nd	73	69.9%
2013	44.46	39^th	76	48.7%
2015	47.60	29^th	72	59.7%
2016	57.77	25^th	73	65.8%
2017	35.55	30^th	82	63.4%
2018	62.94	21^st	67	68.7%
2019	58.09	25^th	70	64.3%
2021	59.34	23^rd	73	68.5%
2022	50.95	28^th	72	61.1%
2023	63.12	21^st	73	71.2%
2024	58.84	23^rd	89	74.2%

See the entire list of Hawaii Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	31.33	41^st	81	49.4%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	49.65	29^th	89	67.4%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	59.31	28^th	87	67.8%

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

Rank History for African American students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	43.53	43^rd	71	39.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	52.62	29^th	68	57.4%

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

Rank History for Pacific Islander students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	23.40	60^th	81	25.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	HI State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	57.23	29^th	86	66.3%

See the entire list of Best Hawaii Middle 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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Enrollment information for Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2001	214	3	736	45	2	n/a	n/a	1000
2002	239	6	782	45	2	n/a	n/a	1074
2003	239	6	782	45	2	n/a	n/a	1074
2004	229	10	768	34	2	n/a	n/a	1043
2005	201	9	777	34	3	n/a	n/a	1024
2006	171	7	708	39	1	n/a	n/a	926
2007	182	4	723	46	1	n/a	n/a	956
2008	190	6	702	47	4	n/a	n/a	949
2009	196	9	663	44	3	n/a	n/a	915
2010	179	7	689	35	3	n/a	n/a	913
2011	124	6	374	22	5	259	99	889
2012	135	2	375	30	6	260	81	889
2013	140	0	377	35	4	273	61	890
2014	152	2	386	36	3	261	58	898
2015	151	1	398	35	3	294	61	943
2016	171	1	382	42	3	289	65	953
2017	166	1	393	56	4	281	74	975
2018	153	3	372	99	3	235	98	963
2019	130	3	324	154	3	219	154	987
2020	104	1	260	188	0	180	231	964
2021	94	2	220	191	1	163	238	909
2022	79	2	195	164	2	155	232	829
2023	65	2	211	172	1	156	201	808
2024	64	0	218	177	1	168	218	846

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 Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	1000	50.5	19.8	37.5
2002	1074	53.5	20.1	35.6
2003	1074	53.5	20.1	35.6
2004	1043	59.0	17.7	35.9
2005	1024	55.5	18.5	35.2
2006	926	55.5	16.7	36.5
2007	956	52.5	18.2	35.1
2008	949	52.0	18.3	31.3
2009	915	53.0	17.3	34.5
2010	913	54.0	16.9	35.2
2011	889	52.5	16.9	41.2
2012	889	51.5	17.2	44.8
2013	890	52.5	16.9	48.5
2014	898	54.0	16.6	47.4
2015	943	58.0	16.2	45.2
2016	953	60.0	15.8	45.8
2017	975	64.0	15.2	45.7
2018	963	62.0	15.5	45.2
2019	987	58.0	17.0	42
2020	964	63.0	15.3	44.1
2021	909	62.0	14.6	50.8
2022	829	62.0	13.3	48.6
2023	808	56.0	14.4	48.4
2024	846	58.0	14.5	48

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 Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	1000	50.5	19.8	37.5
2002	1074	53.5	20.1	35.6
2003	1074	53.5	20.1	35.6
2004	1043	59.0	17.7	35.9
2005	1024	55.5	18.5	35.2
2006	926	55.5	16.7	36.5
2007	956	52.5	18.2	35.1
2008	949	52.0	18.3	31.3
2009	915	53.0	17.3	34.5
2010	913	54.0	16.9	35.2
2011	889	52.5	16.9	41.2
2012	889	51.5	17.2	44.8
2013	890	52.5	16.9	48.5
2014	898	54.0	16.6	47.4
2015	943	58.0	16.2	45.2
2016	953	60.0	15.8	45.8
2017	975	64.0	15.2	45.7
2018	963	62.0	15.5	45.2
2019	987	58.0	17.0	42
2020	964	63.0	15.3	44.1
2021	909	62.0	14.6	50.8
2022	829	62.0	13.3	48.6
2023	808	56.0	14.4	48.4
2024	846	58.0	14.5	48

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 Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,151 (7.8%)	$13,641 (92.2%)	$14,792

Data source: Hawaii Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle 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 25^th of 70 Middle schools	Ranks 21^st of 73 Middle schools	6.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School)	56	58	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	53	51	2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School)	44	48	4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	41	39	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School)	56	53	3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	53	51	2%
7th Grade Mathematics (Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School)	54	49	5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	38	34	4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School)	45	48	3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Hawaii)	52	50	2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School)	35	34	1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Hawaii)	38	31	7%
All Grades English Language Arts (Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School)	52	53	1%
All Grades Mathematics (Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School)	44	44

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	987	808	18.1%
African American	3	2	33.3%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	324	211	34.9%
Hispanic	154	172	11.7%
Pacific Islander	219	156	28.8%
White	130	65	50%
Two or More Races	154	201	30.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	42%	48.4%	6.3%

Schools Near Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle 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
Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School	Public	6-8	4431 Nuhou St	Lihue	96766	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 241-3200	846	58	14.5	48.0%	64 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	177 (20.9%)	218 (25.8%)	1 (0.1%)	168 (19.9%)	218 (25.8%)	58.8	23^rd of 89 public middle schools	74.2%		63.1	21^st of 73 public middle schools	71.2%	2	33.7	55.1	46.5	$14,792	$1,151	$13,641
Kapaa Middle School	Public	6-8	4867 Olohena Rd	Kapaa	96746	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 821-4460	523	29	18.0	49.1%	67 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	105 (20.1%)	75 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	132 (25.2%)	144 (27.5%)	13.1	71^st of 89 public middle schools	20.2%		20.8	58^th of 73 public middle schools	20.5%	13	18.8	32.4	16.0	$14,928	$1,292	$13,636
Waimea Canyon Middle School	Public	6-8	9555 Huakai Rd	Waimea	96796	Kauai County	Hawaii Department of Education	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(808) 338-6830	485	34	14.2	59.2%	20 (4.1%)	2 (0.4%)	90 (18.6%)	130 (26.8%)	0 (0.0%)	144 (29.7%)	99 (20.4%)	12.4	73^rd of 89 public middle schools	18.0%		13.8	65^th of 73 public middle schools	11.0%	8	13.4	28.6	20.8	$15,564	$1,552	$14,012

Frequently Asked Questions about Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

How many students attend Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 846 students attended Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School attend?

Students who attend Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School usually go on to attend Kauai High School

What is the racial makeup of Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School?

Students at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School are 26% Asian, 26% Two or more races, 21% Hispanic, 20% Pacific Islander, 8% White.

Is Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School a good school?

Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School ranks 23^rd of 89 Hawaii middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School in?

Hawaii Department of Education

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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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