Ka Umeke Kaeo - PCS

As a modestly sized K-12 campus in Hilo, Hawaii, Ka Umeke Kaeo - PCS hosts 292 students from grades pre-K through 12, part of Hawaii Department of Education. By comparison, Hawaii's public schools average about 412 students each, so Ka Umeke Kaeo - PCS sits 29% below that benchmark.

Hawaii Department of Education comprises 296 schools with combined enrollment of 167,071 students; Ka Umeke Kaeo - PCS is among them.

On demographics, Ka Umeke Kaeo - PCS lists that Pacific Islander students make up the majority at 60%. The remainder reads as 23% Hispanic, 14% multiracial, 2% White.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, Ka Umeke Kaeo - PCS has 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.7:1. The state averages about 12.4:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 67% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Hawaii County (around 59%), the school's rate is noticeably above typical.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Hawaii County put median household income runs about $78,639, 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. In all, Hawaii County runs 55 public schools (combined enrollment of about 27,129 students), of which Ka Umeke Kaeo - PCS is one.

Ke Ana Laahana - PCS is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Ka Umeke Kaeo - PCS.

The campus sits in a countryside setting. Ka Umeke Kaeo - PCS is a charter school, which puts it inside the public-school system but outside the standard district-managed model.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Ka Umeke Kaeo - PCS has edged up 42%, going from 205 students in 2018 to 292 in 2025. Class-load math has loosened: from 8.4:1 in 2018 to 12.7:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.