The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in English language arts. The lowest is 49% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Major General William R Shafter Elementary School
Major General William R Shafter Elementary School sits on Fort Shafter, a U.S. Army installation in Honolulu, and that setting shapes much of what the school is. It is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, part of the Hawaii Department of Education. The location on a military base means the student body turns over as families receive new assignments, and the school's demographic mix reflects a blend of military-connected families from across the country alongside local Honolulu families. White students make up the largest single group, with substantial Hispanic and multiracial populations, and smaller but present Black, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander groups. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is modest relative to many Hawaii public schools, which fits the profile of a base-adjacent school where many families have stable military incomes.
Academically, the most recent state assessment results tell a story of real strength in the middle elementary grades, with some softening at the entry and exit points. Fourth grade stands out as particularly strong, with very high proficiency in both math and English language arts. Sixth grade is also strong, especially in language arts. Third grade results are more middling in both subjects, and fifth grade math and science are the weakest spots, with roughly half of tested students reaching proficiency. Science proficiency in fifth grade sits just below the halfway mark. A parent looking at these results might want to ask the school how it supports students in the transition into third grade testing and what is happening in fifth grade math and science instruction. Across all tested grades combined, language arts proficiency is solidly above the statewide midpoint, math is also above the midpoint, and science trails behind the other two subjects.
Only one year of assessment data was available, so there is no trend to report. The data sources did not include individualized education program rates or English learner rates, so those population figures are missing from the picture. Discipline data, course access information, staffing ratios, and attendance figures were also not available. Title I status was not reported. These gaps mean a parent would need to contact the school directly for details on special education services, English language support, and disciplinary climate.
Honolulu itself is the capital and largest city in Hawaii, stretching along the southeast coast of Oʻahu. Publicly reported descriptions characterize it as a hub for business, finance, hospitality, and military defense. The presence of major military installations, including Pearl Harbor and the U.S. Pacific Fleet, is a defining economic force, and the tourism industry centered on Waikīkī employs large numbers of residents. State and county government offices sit in the Capitol District downtown, and the city has been developing its Skyline rail system as a major transit project. The city faces an aging and declining population, with residents leaving for the U.S. mainland, and climate change is affecting the area through drought, sea level rise, and flooding. Housing affordability is an ongoing concern statewide.
The housing market around the school reflects Honolulu's high cost of living. Home values in the school's zip code are well above both the state benchmark and far above the national benchmark, and rents are similarly elevated. The price-to-income ratio is steep, meaning ownership is difficult for many families without military housing allowances or other support. For military families assigned to Fort Shafter, base housing may offset these costs, but for civilian families considering the area, the housing market is a real factor.
The district brief for the Hawaii Department of Education did not surface specific recent policy, curriculum, or budget changes of lasting impact, so there is little to report on the district-level direction that might affect this school in the near term.
What this school appears to offer is a small, stable-by-military-standards elementary environment with genuinely strong academic results in the middle grades, a diverse student body, and the structure that comes with being on a military installation. The science results and the fifth grade math results are areas a parent would want to understand better. The cost of living in the surrounding community is high, and the school's connection to Fort Shafter means the peer environment shifts with each military reassignment cycle, which some families find enriching and others find disruptive.
See more original research from School Decision →