The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in Math. The lowest is 61% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Maemae Elementary School
Maemae Elementary School sits on Wyllie Street in Honolulu, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Hawaii Department of Education. The campus sits in an older, established section of urban Honolulu, near the Nu'uanu corridor and not far from the civic and commercial core of the city. Honolulu itself is the state capital and the dominant population center of Hawaii, a city of high-rises, government offices, tourism density in Waikiki, and military installations anchored by the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. The urban core is served by TheBus and the developing Skyline rail system. Schools in this area are distributed across neighborhoods rather than clustered on a single campus, and Maemae fits that pattern, sitting within a residential stretch of the city.
The school's academic results stand out as a clear strength. On the most recent Smarter Balanced Assessments, proficiency rates in both math and English language arts were strong across third, fourth, and fifth grades, with a majority of tested students reaching proficient or above in every grade and subject. Science proficiency among fifth graders, measured by the Hawaii Science Assessment aligned to NGSS standards, was also solid, with a clear majority proficient. Participation rates were at or near full. These are the kinds of results that signal consistent instruction and a school where most students are meeting grade-level expectations across core subjects. A parent reviewing these results would see a school performing well above what many elementary schools achieve.
One limitation in the data is that only a single year of assessment results is available, so there is no trend to compare against. Average scale scores were also not reported, leaving proficiency as the primary academic window. Both of those gaps are worth noting, but neither reflects on the school's performance; they simply describe what the current data set contains.
The student body is sizable for an elementary school, and its composition reflects Honolulu's demographics in a distinctive way. A large plurality of students identify as Asian, with the next largest group being students of two or more races. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students make up a meaningful share, and a smaller portion identify as Hispanic. Very few students identify as White. The proportion of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is relatively low, which suggests a student population with fewer economic pressures than many public schools serve. This is a family-preference characteristic rather than a measure of quality, but it does shape the peer environment and may reflect the economic profile of the surrounding neighborhood.
Some data that parents often look for was not available. Special education enrollment and English learner rates were missing from the provided data. The same was true for Title I status, staffing ratios, discipline information, attendance figures, and course or program offerings. These gaps mean the portrait here is built mainly from assessment results, enrollment, and demographics. A parent wanting a fuller picture of student support services or specialized programs would want to ask the school directly.
The housing context around Maemae is demanding. Home values in the school's ZIP code are very high, well above the national figure and roughly in line with state-level benchmarks for Hawaii. Rents are also elevated and have been climbing. The gap between monthly mortgage costs and rents is wide, and the price-to-income ratio is steep, reflecting the broader affordability challenge that Honolulu faces. This is an expensive area to buy into, and the market has shown continued upward pressure on home values and rents. For families already in the neighborhood, the school represents a strong academic option within the public system. For families considering a move, the housing cost is the primary barrier.
The Hawaii Department of Education, which operates Maemae, is a single statewide district. A search for recent district-level policy or curriculum changes turned up little of lasting impact, so there is no specific district initiative to report here.
What the assembled data describes is a well-performing elementary school in an established Honolulu neighborhood, serving a diverse and relatively advantaged student body, with strong assessment results across tested grades and subjects. The main gaps are in support-service data and program detail, which a parent can fill in by contacting the school.
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