Pearl Harbor Kai Elementary School, Honolulu HI

Original Research by School Decision on Pearl Harbor Kai Elementary School

Pearl Harbor Kai Elementary School sits on the southeast side of Oʻahu, within the broader Honolulu area that serves as Hawaii's capital and commercial hub. The school's address places it in a zip code associated with the Pearl Harbor naval installation, and the locale brief identifies the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor as one of the region's dominant employers, home to the Pacific Fleet. That military presence shapes the community in ways a parent will want to understand. The surrounding Honolulu metro area is a dense, high-rise urban core with strong tourism, government, and defense sectors, while the specific neighborhood around the base has a more institutional character than the hotel-and-retail density of Waikīkī or the financial district downtown.

The school serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade as a regular public school within the Hawaii Department of Education, the statewide district that administers all of Hawaii's public schools. Enrollment is moderate for an elementary school on Oʻahu. The student body is diverse in a way that reflects both the local island population and military family transience. White students make up the largest single group, with Hispanic students and students of two or more races forming the next largest cohorts, followed by smaller shares of Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. A relatively small proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals compared with many Hawaii public schools, which is consistent with the stable income patterns typical of active-duty military families. The school did not report data on English learners or students with individualized education programs, so those population shares are unknown here.

On state assessments, Pearl Harbor Kai shows solid academic results. Math proficiency is a clear strength, with the third grade posting particularly strong results and the upper grades holding at levels that sit comfortably above what many Hawaii elementary schools achieve. English language arts results are more varied across grades, with one upper grade reaching a high proficiency level while another grade sits closer to the middle of the pack. Science proficiency, measured only in fifth grade, lands at a moderate level. Only one year of assessment data is available, so there is no trend to read, and average scale scores were not reported. Participation rates are high across every grade and subject, which gives the proficiency figures a reliable foundation.

Honolulu's housing market is expensive by mainland standards, and the area around the school is no exception. Home values in the school's zip code run below the statewide benchmark but well above the national one, and recent movement shows values softening slightly while rents have been climbing. For military families, housing allowances may offset much of this cost, but civilian families considering the area should expect Honolulu's well-documented affordability pressures. The city is also grappling with an aging and declining population and the effects of climate change on its coastline and water supply, factors that shape long-term planning for the region even if they sit in the background of daily school life.

The data does not include information on the school's locale classification, discipline practices, course offerings beyond the standard elementary curriculum, staffing ratios, or attendance patterns. Title I status was not reported. The Hawaii Department of Education district brief did not surface any recent policy, curriculum, or budget changes specific enough to share, so there is nothing new from the district level to factor in here.

What the available picture suggests is a stable, moderately sized elementary school with a military-connected community, healthy academic results particularly in math, and a student population that is more socioeconomically advantaged than many of its Hawaii public school peers. A parent weighing this school would do well to ask about supports for students who arrive mid-year as families transfer, since military schools often see turnover that the data here does not capture directly. The gaps in English learner, special education, and program data are also worth raising with the school directly if either is relevant to a child's needs.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 376%

School 76% · District 53% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 455%

School 55% · District 51% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 45% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 41% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 359%

School 59% · District 50% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 52% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 571%

School 71% · District 56% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 54% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 49% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · even with county median

This schoolHawaii Department of Education, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income43%Higher-income66%23 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income38%Higher-income55%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income64%Higher-income80%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income56%Higher-income55%2 pp gap