The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in Science. The lowest is 70% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Hahaione Elementary School
Hahaione ElementarySchool sits in Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Hawaii Department of Education. The campus sits in the Hawaii Kai area, an established residential community on the southeast side of the city, well removed from the high-rise density of Waikīkī and downtown Honolulu. The surrounding neighborhood is relatively affluent by island standards, and that economic context shows up in the school's student population: a small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, far below what many public schools in the state see.
The enrollment is moderate for an elementary school, with students distributed fairly evenly across grade levels. The student body reflects Honolulu's multicultural character. The largest group identifies as two or more races, followed by a substantial Asian population, then white and Hispanic students, with smaller numbers of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A few other racial or ethnic categories appear in very small counts. This mix is typical of Honolulu schools and gives children a peer environment that mirrors the broader community's diversity.
Academic results are a clear strength. On the Smarter Balanced Assessment, math proficiency is consistently strong across third, fourth, and fifth grades, with roughly seven in ten students scoring proficient or above in each grade. English language arts starts lower in third grade but climbs steadily, with fifth-grade ELA proficiency reaching a very high level. Science proficiency in fifth grade, measured by the Hawaii Science Assessment aligned to NGSS standards, is also strong. Participation was full across every tested grade and subject, meaning the results represent the whole student body rather than a self-selected subset. These are proficiency levels that place Hahaione well above typical state averages for Hawaii. The pattern of ELA improving as students move up through the grades suggests the school's literacy instruction compounds over time, and the consistency in math across all three tested grades points to stable instruction rather than a single strong cohort.
What the data does not cover is worth naming. No multi-year trend is available yet, because only one year of results is reported, so a parent cannot see whether these strong numbers are sustained or improving. Data on special education enrollment and English learner status was not reported, so we cannot characterize how the school serves those populations or how large those groups are. No locale classification, staffing ratios, attendance figures, discipline data, course access details, or program offerings were provided. A parent looking into enrichment, arts, or specialized support would want to ask the school directly, because none of that appears in the available data.
The housing market around the school is expensive. Typical home values in the school's zip code run well above the state benchmark for Hawaii and far above national figures, with the price-to-income ratio indicating serious affordability pressure. Rents are also high, though the gap between renting and owning is somewhat narrower than in markets where purchase prices are even more stretched relative to incomes. A family considering this area should expect that housing costs will be a major factor. The broader city context matters here too. Honolulu's population has been declining slightly, with an aging resident base and continued migration to the mainland, and the city faces long-term pressures from climate change, including drought, sea level rise, and flooding. The Skyline rail project continues to develop as a major infrastructure investment, though the school's location on the southeast end of the urban corridor means its relevance to daily school life is limited.
Hahaione presents as a solidly performing elementary school in a comfortable, relatively well-resourced neighborhood, with academic results that stand out and a student body that reflects the cultural mix that defines Honolulu. The main unknowns are the programmatic and support details that the available data does not capture, and a parent would do well to fill those in through direct conversation with the school.
See more original research from School Decision →