The top reported proficiency rate is 83% in Science. The lowest is 77% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Kaelepulu Elementary School
Kaelepulu Elementary School sits in Kailua, a residential community on Oahu's windward side that grew from post-war suburban development and still carries a laid-back, beach-town character. The town's commercial life centers on Kailua Road, where shops and restaurants form a de facto downtown, while schools occupy separate campuses spread across the community. Kaelepulu is one of several elementary schools serving the area, feeding eventually into Kailua Intermediate and the local high schools. Marine Corps Base Hawaii on the nearby Mokapu Peninsula is a major employer, and tourism drives much of the local economy, though residents have pushed legislation to restrict short-term rentals, signaling a community that wants to preserve its residential feel.
The school serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade and is a regular public school within the Hawaii Department of Education, the single statewide district. Its enrollment is small, typical for a windward Oahu elementary campus. The student body reflects Kailua's mixed character: the largest groups are students identifying as two or more races and students identifying as white, with smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A modest portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, well below what many Hawaii public schools see, which aligns with the area's affluence. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status was not available, so those pictures remain incomplete here.
Academically, Kaelepulu posts strong results on the Smarter Balanced Assessment in math and English language arts, and on the Hawaii Science Assessment. Across tested grades, proficiency rates are consistently high, with most grades showing a large majority of students meeting or exceeding standards. Third-grade math stands out as particularly strong, and science proficiency in fifth grade is also impressive. One grade in math, fifth, dips below the others, though with a small number of tested students a single grade's results can shift noticeably year to year. A parent may want to look into this further with the school if they have a child approaching that grade. English language arts results are steady across grades, with no single grade flagging. Only one year of assessment data is available, so there is no trend to trace; the school's current performance reads as a snapshot rather than a trajectory.
The housing context around Kaelepulu is demanding. Kailua's home values sit far above both the state and national benchmarks, and rents are steep as well. The price-to-income ratio is well into territory that strains affordability for most families, and the estimated monthly mortgage on a typical home dwarfs what many households earn. Rents have been climbing. For families considering the area, housing costs are a defining factor, and the school's relatively low share of students qualifying for lunch assistance reflects the income level of the surrounding neighborhood rather than any admissions screen. Kailua's population dipped over recent census cycles before rebounding slightly, and the community has taken steps through short-term rental restrictions to manage tourist pressure, which may shape how the town evolves.
What the data does not cover is also part of the picture. We looked for information on course offerings, extracurricular programs, staffing ratios, attendance patterns, and disciplinary data, and found none reported for this school. The same is true for any district-level policy or curriculum changes that might affect the classroom experience. A family evaluating Kaelepulu would benefit from asking the school directly about those dimensions. What the available evidence does show is a small, academically strong elementary school in an affluent, tight-knit community where housing costs are the dominant practical consideration. For a family already settled in Kailua or able to manage the housing market, Kaelepulu offers a solid academic foundation with strong proficiency across subjects and a peer environment that mirrors the town's diverse, residential character.
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