The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in Math. The lowest is 61% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on King Liholiho Elementary School
King Liholiho Elementary sits on Maunaloa Avenue in Honolulu, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Hawaii Department of Education. The school draws from a neighborhood where housing costs run well above state and national levels, with typical home values in the surrounding zip code far exceeding the statewide benchmark and rents taking a sizeable share of household income. The area sits within Honolulu's broader urban fabric, where high-rise development, tourism, military installations, and government functions shape the local economy. Publicly reported sources describe an aging population and migration to the mainland contributing to a gradual population decline in the city.
The student body is modest in size for an elementary school, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across the grade levels. Asian students form the largest single group, followed by a substantial multiracial population, with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and White students each making up smaller shares. A moderate portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Information on special education enrollment and English learner status was not available in the data provided, so those pieces of the student profile remain unspecified.
On state assessments, Liholiho posted strong results in the most recent school year. Math proficiency held in the low-to-mid seventies across third, fourth, and fifth grades, with fourth grade the strongest. English language arts results were more varied, with third grade the lowest of the three and fourth grade reaching a high level. Fifth-grade science proficiency, measured on the Hawaii Science Assessment aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, came in lower than the school's math and ELA marks but still showed a majority of tested students reaching proficiency. Every tested grade reported full participation.
Because the data set includes only the most recent school year, there is no multi-year trend to describe. Whether these results represent a stable pattern or a one-year snapshot is something a parent may want to explore with the school directly. Average scale scores were not reported, so the proficiency figures are the primary academic evidence available.
Beyond test results, the data is thin. No information was provided on staffing ratios, teacher qualifications, attendance rates, discipline incidents, or course offerings. Programs data was absent as well, so the narrative cannot speak to whether the school offers enrichment, arts, or specialized instruction beyond the standard elementary curriculum. Civil rights data was also not included. The district brief for the Hawaii Department of Education turned up no specific policy, curriculum, or budget changes of recent note, so there is little to report on district-level direction that might shape Liholiho's near-term experience.
Honolulu itself is a city shaped by its role as the Pacific's business and government hub. Publicly reported sources describe a downtown core anchored by the state capitol, Honolulu Hale, and landmarks like ʻIolani Palace, with Waikīkī functioning as the tourism center and Ala Moana Center serving as a major commercial destination. The city has been developing its Skyline rail system as a major infrastructure project. For a family considering Liholiho, the surrounding setting is urban Honolulu, with all the access and cost pressures that implies. Housing in the school's zip code carries a price-to-income ratio far above the national figure, and the gap between monthly mortgage costs and rents tilts toward renting as the relatively more affordable option, though rents still consume a large share of typical income.
What the data supports is a picture of a small-to-mid-size elementary school with a diverse student body, solid academic results in math and English, a softer but still passing science outcome, and a location in one of the more expensive housing markets in the country. The missing pieces are substantial enough that a family would benefit from contacting the school directly to fill in questions about special education services, English learner support, staffing, enrichment programs, and any recent changes the available data does not capture.
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