The top reported proficiency rate is 43% in Science. The lowest is 33% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Kalihi Elementary School
Kalihi Elementary School sits in the Kalihi neighborhood of Honolulu, on the southeast coast of Oʻahu. It is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, part of the Hawaii Department of Education, the single statewide district that governs all of Hawaii's public schools. The school is small for its grade band, with enrollment spread across early childhood and elementary grades. A substantial majority of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which marks it as a school serving a largely economically disadvantaged community. Its student body is predominantly Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, with smaller shares of Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial students, and very few white students. This composition reflects the Kalihi area, a working-class, historically immigrant and Native Hawaiian district in urban Honolulu rather than the tourist-facing parts of Waikīkī or the wealthier residential neighborhoods upslope.
Academically, the most recent state assessment results give a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates are moderate, with the strongest showing in fifth grade, where about half of tested students reached proficiency. Third and fourth grade ELA results were lower, with roughly a third of students proficient. Math results were weaker across the board, with proficiency declining from third grade to fifth grade, where only a quarter of students met the standard. Science, tested only in fifth grade, landed in a middling range, with close to half of students proficient. Participation was near universal across all tested grades and subjects. No multi-year trend data is available yet, since only one year of results is reported, so there is no way to characterize whether performance is improving, declining, or stable over time. A parent weighing these numbers may want to ask the school directly how it supports students who are below proficiency and what interventions are in place, particularly in math.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. The data we received does not include individualized education program rates, English learner rates, staffing figures, discipline data, course access information, or attendance figures. These gaps mean we cannot speak to the school's special education population, its English language learner support, its teacher-to-student ratio, or its climate and culture from the data provided. A parent would want to seek these details from the school or district directly.
Honolulu itself is the capital and largest city in Hawaii, a Pacific hub for business, military defense, tourism, and government. The Kalihi area sits outside the high-rise tourist core of Waikīkī and the financial district of downtown, though it is close to both. Honolulu's economy is shaped by the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor, state and county government, healthcare institutions like The Queen's Medical Center, and a tourism industry that draws millions of visitors annually. The city is dealing with an aging and declining population, with residents leaving for the mainland, and climate pressures including sea level rise, drought, and flooding. Housing is a persistent concern across Honolulu, and the Kalihi zip code reflects that. Typical home values in the area are well above national benchmarks, though somewhat below the broader Hawaii state figure. Estimated monthly mortgage costs far exceed typical rents, meaning renting is meaningfully cheaper than buying here. Rent absorbs a large share of typical household income, which is a real constraint for many families in the Kalihi catchment.
No program offerings, extracurriculars, or specialized academic pathways were provided in the data, so we cannot describe what the school offers beyond standard elementary instruction. No neighbor comparison or peer district positioning was available either. The district-level brief for the Hawaii Department of Education returned no specific recent policy, curriculum, or funding changes of note.
What the picture supports is this. Kalihi Elementary is a small, community-rooted elementary school serving a predominantly Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander student body in a working-class Honolulu neighborhood. Its ELA and science results are moderate, while math is a soft spot. The housing market around it is expensive by national standards, with renting the more accessible path. Families considering this school should ask the administration about math support, special populations, staffing, and any programs or partnerships that extend beyond the standard curriculum, since none of that appears in the data we have.
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