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What's the one class at Waiakea High School every student should take?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,183
High
DISTRICT 1,058 · STATE 1,058
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION·NCES 150003000052
Waiakea High School
155 W Kawili St, Hilo, HI 96720 · (808) 974-4888 · Hawaii County
GRADES 09–12HIGH33-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,183 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 85% of Hawaii public high schools
- ATest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ·Beats expectations Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Hawaii public high schools
Student : Teacher
15.4:1
77 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.4:1 · STATE 14.4:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
41%
480 students
DISTRICT 49% · STATE 49%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 354 | 30% |
| Grade 10 | 235 | 20% |
| Grade 11 | 303 | 26% |
| Grade 12 | 283 | 24% |
| Ungraded | 8 | 1% |
Student demographics
78%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 79% · STATE 79% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
Strive HI 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
61.0%
HI avg 52.0%
Math
42.0%
HI avg 41.9%
What this means: On the Strive HI, Hawaii's statewide test, about 61 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 42 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Hawaii schools, those numbers are about 52 and 42.
Source: Strive HI. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
Schools most like Waiakea High School
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waiakea High School this school | 1,183 | 40.6% | N/A |
| Henry Perrine Baldwin High School Wailuku | 1,266 | 45.3% | N/A |
| Kauai High School Lihue | 1,016 | 40.4% | N/A |
| Castle High School Kaneohe | 997 | 48.5% | N/A |
| Kailua High School Kailua | 795 | 47.9% | N/A |
| Hilo High School Hilo | 1,170 | 50.1% | N/A |
Matched among Hawaii high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Waiakea High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Hawaii | In Hawaii County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 42.0% | #4 of 43 | #1 of 9 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 61.0% | #12 of 43 | #2 of 9 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,183 | #19 of 46 | #2 of 10 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.4:1 | #24 of 41 | #4 of 9 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 78.4% | #5 of 41 | #1 of 9 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 40.6% | #25 of 43 | #8 of 9 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -5.8% | #19 of 23 | N/A |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,183
-50 (-4%) vs 2020
-37% since 1990-91, when it was 1,886
Student : Teacher
15.4:1
was 16.2:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,183 | 77 | 15.4:1 | 41% (480) |
| 2023-24 | 1,217 | 77 | 15.8:1 | 44% (536) |
| 2022-23 | 1,297 | 77 | 16.8:1 | 43% (554) |
| 2020-21 | 1,233 | 76 | 16.2:1 | 46% (563) |
| 2017-18 | 1,256 | 80 | 15.7:1 | 48% (603) |
| 2015-16 | 1,197 | 76 | 15.8:1 | 49% (584) |
| 2010-11 | 1,168 | 71 | 16.4:1 | 45% (525) |
| 2000-01 | 1,810 | 100 | 18.1:1 | 35% (626) |
| 1990-91 | 1,886 | 95 | 19.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Waiakea High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 6% (1,256 to 1,183); teachers down 4% (80 to 77).
About Waiakea High School
Waiakea High School is a public high school in Hilo, Hawaii. The school had 1,183 students in grades 9 through 12 in 2024-25.
Hawaii Department of Education operates 296 schools. Combined enrollment is 167,071 students.
Pacific Islander students are the largest group at Waiakea High School, with 26% of enrollment. Beyond that, enrollment is 24% Hispanic, 21% multiracial, 20% Asian, and 9% White. By the diversity index, Waiakea High School comes in at 78%.
The school employs the equivalent of 77 full-time teachers, for a ratio of 15.4:1. The average ratio among high schools in Hawaii is 14.4:1, lower than at this school. The free or reduced-price lunch rate at Waiakea High School is 41%. Across public schools in Hawaii County, the average is 59%.
Measured against Hawaii public high schools, Waiakea High School receives an A. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
In Hawaii County (population about 205,769), median household income is about $78,639, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 31% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 10%. Waiakea High School is one of 55 public schools in Hawaii County, which together enroll about 27,129 students.
The shortest distance from Waiakea High School to another public school is about 0.3 miles, to Waiakea Intermediate School. The five-mile area around Waiakea High School holds at least 8 other public schools.
The school's setting, by NCES definition, is Town: Remote: in a town far from an urbanized area.
Between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the student count declined from 1,233 to 1,183.
The Waiakea High School community page is open for posts about enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Hawaii County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
205,769
Census ACS
Median income
$78,639
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
31%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
55
27,129 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Hawaii Department of Education
- James Campbell High SchoolHigh · 2,890 students
- Waipahu High SchoolHigh · 2,538 students
- Mililani High SchoolHigh · 2,382 students
- Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High SchoolHigh · 2,094 students
- Moanalua High SchoolHigh · 1,966 students
- Hawaii Technology Academy - PCSCombined · 1,924 students
Other schools in Hilo
- Hilo High SchoolHigh · 1,170 students
- Waiakea Intermediate SchoolMiddle · 857 students
- Waiakea Elementary SchoolElementary · 706 students
- Waiakeawaena Elementary SchoolElementary · 669 students
- Hilo Intermediate SchoolMiddle · 560 students
- Hilo Union Elementary SchoolElementary · 449 students
Nearby schools
- Waiakea Intermediate School0.3 mi · 857
- Waiakea Elementary School0.3 mi · 706
- Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School1.0 mi · 354
- Waiakeawaena Elementary School1.2 mi · 669
- Hilo Union Elementary School1.9 mi · 449
- Hilo Intermediate School1.9 mi · 560
Frequently asked questions
About Waiakea High SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Waiakea High School?
Waiakea High School enrolls approximately 1,183 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does Waiakea High School serve?
Waiakea High School serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many teachers does Waiakea High School have?
Waiakea High School employs 77 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.4:1.
How diverse is Waiakea High School?
Waiakea High School reports a student body of 9% White, 24% Hispanic, 0% Black, 20% Asian, 21% Two or more.
Is Waiakea High School public or private?
Waiakea High School is a public K-12 school, overseen by Hawaii Department of Education.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.