The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in Science. The lowest is 51% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Holualoa Elementary School
Holualoa Elementary School sits in a small upcountry coffee-farming village on the slopes of Hualalai volcano, above Kailua-Kona on Hawaii Island's west side. The campus lies along Mamalahoa Highway, the old road that once circled the island and still serves as the village's main street. Historic wooden storefronts, art galleries, and coffee shops cluster along this corridor, and the school appears to sit within or near that village core rather than on a separated suburban campus. This is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, operated by the Hawaii Department of Education.
The student body reflects Hawaii's mixed heritage. Hispanic students, multiracial students, white students, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students all make up substantial shares of enrollment, with Asian students representing a smaller segment. Nearly half the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school does not report its special-education or English-learner rates, so those populations are a gap a parent may want to ask about directly.
On state assessments, Holualoa Elementary shows moderate results. In math, roughly half the tested students across third, fourth, and fifth grades meet or exceed proficiency, with fourth graders performing strongest and third graders lagging somewhat behind. English language arts follows a similar pattern, fourth grade again the brightest spot and third grade the weakest. Fifth-grade science, assessed through the Hawaii Science Assessment aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, shows a slim majority reaching proficiency. Participation rates are high across all tested grades. Only one year of data is available, so there is no trend to describe; a parent looking for whether results are improving or declining over time would need to ask the school for longitudinal records the state has not yet published here.
Because this is an elementary school serving only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report. No civil-rights data, discipline figures, course-access information, staffing ratios, or attendance data were provided, so those dimensions of school life are not described here. Title I status was also not reported. The school's locale classification and any neighbor comparison among nearby schools were not available in the data received.
The housing market surrounding Holualoa Elementary is expensive by any standard. Typical home values in the school's zip code run well above both the state and national benchmarks, with the gap to the national figure especially wide. A standard mortgage on a typical home here would demand a large share of a household income, and the price-to-income ratio sits far above what most mainland families would recognize as affordable. Recent values have dipped modestly year over year, but the absolute cost remains high. Renting appears somewhat less costly than carrying a mortgage, though rents still take a substantial portion of income. For families considering a move to this attendance zone, housing affordability will likely be a primary factor.
The village itself has no large employers. The economy runs on small, family-run coffee farms and estates, galleries, and tourism-related services. No hospital or major corporate presence exists within the community. No public library was identified in the village; the nearest services are likely in Kailua-Kona. Public parks within the CDP were not confirmed, and transit is minimal. Civic life centers on the Holualoa Village Association's events, including the monthly First Friday art walk and the annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. The area's growth pattern favors preservation of its historic agricultural character over large-scale subdivision, partly because the upland coffee-farm setting constrains development.
We looked for recent parent-relevant changes from the Hawaii Department of Education but found little of lasting impact, so nothing specific is reported here. The district brief returned only general organizational information with no specific policy, curriculum, or budget changes.
Holualoa Elementary offers a solid elementary pathway in a close-knit, rural upland community with a strong cultural identity and a diverse student body. Academic results sit in a moderate range, with clear strength in the upper elementary grades. The housing market is the dominant practical barrier for most families considering the area.
See more original research from School Decision →