The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 26% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Samuel Enoka Kalama Intermediate School
Samuel Enoka Kalama Intermediate School sits in Makawao, an Upcountry Maui town known for its arts scene and paniolo heritage. The Makawao Rodeo, a long-running Fourth of July tradition, anchors the community's calendar, and the Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center offers classes and gallery exhibits nearby. The Makawao Forest Reserve borders the town to the east. Public transit does not appear in available sources, so families should expect to rely on personal vehicles. The school serves grades six through eight as a regular public school within the Hawaii Department of Education, the statewide district that operates all of Hawaii's public schools.
The student body reflects Maui's mixed demographics. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students, Hispanic students, and students identifying as two or more races each make up large shares of enrollment. White and Asian students represent smaller portions. A majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The school did not report data on English learners or students with individualized education programs, so families relying on those services may want to ask the school directly about what is available.
Academic results from the most recent state assessments show a school where English language arts is the relative bright spot. Across all three grade levels, roughly half of students reached proficiency in ELA on the Smarter Balanced Assessment. Math results were weaker, with about a quarter to slightly more than a third of students proficient depending on the grade, and the strongest performance coming in eighth grade. Science, tested only in eighth grade under the Hawaii Science Assessment aligned to Next Generation Science Standards, showed the lowest proficiency level of the three subjects. Only one year of data was available, so no trend could be established to show whether these results are improving, holding steady, or declining. Participation rates were high across all tested grades and subjects, which gives the results credibility as a picture of the whole school rather than a skewed subset.
No data was provided on course offerings, extracurricular programs, career pathways, or dual-credit options. This is typical for an intermediate school serving middle grades, where such programs are less common than at the high school level, but the gap means families should contact the school to learn what electives, arts, or support programs exist beyond the tested subjects. Discipline data, staffing figures, and attendance information were also absent from available sources.
Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. This is expected for an intermediate school and does not indicate a gap in performance.
The housing market in the school's zip code is among the most expensive in the country. Typical home values sit well above both the Hawaii state benchmark and the national figure, with a price-to-income ratio that dwarfs mainland norms. Rent data was not available for this area. The broader economic picture includes a national unemployment rate in a moderate range and a thirty-year mortgage rate that has been climbing. Families considering a move to this area should weigh the cost of housing carefully, as homeownership here demands a substantial income relative to most mainland communities.
The Hawaii Department of Education, which operates this school, did not surface any recently reported policy changes, curriculum shifts, or budget actions of lasting impact in available sources. That search came up largely empty, so nothing concrete can be relayed about district-level initiatives that might affect Kalama Intermediate in the near term.
What emerges from the available data is a mid-sized intermediate school in a culturally rich Upcountry Maui community, with ELA results that outpace its math and science performance, a diverse student population, and a housing market that will be the deciding factor for many families. Parents looking at this school should ask about academic support in math, available electives, and services for English learners and students with special needs, since those areas went unreported in the data.
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