This school should be better. Despite fairly high test…read morescores, the experience here falls far short of what families should expect. Hawaii's schools rank in the bottom third nationally, and in our two years here this "highly rated" school felt closer to a 3/10 compared to mainland standards. The main issue is poor leadership that prioritizes staff convenience over student experience. Most problems could be solved with stronger leadership and genuine care for families. There is no parent-teacher organization, leading to little accountability or transparency. Leadership resists parent input and improvement with endless excuses. The lack of facilities is unacceptable: no playground or equipment for 1st-5th graders, no multipurpose room for assemblies or plays, and no covered recess space. Children are taken to an empty field with no benches, tables, or shade, and recess ends when it drizzles. Quarterly awards are held in a hallway where parent views are blocked by pillars and under tarps. Some grades have only one recess, with no lunch playtime, and physical activity is sometimes withheld as punishment. Most students eat outside under tarps. There is no on-campus A+ afterschool program, leaving few options for working families. The curriculum is bare. No foreign language or music education is offered. Technology is underutilized, limited to standardized testing and drills rather than creative or project-based work. Homework is minimal and uninspiring, tests are returned weeks late, and the pace seems set for the slowest learners. Hawaiian studies lacked rigor--no graded work was returned, and a year of lessons consisted mostly of storytelling. Overall, children are not challenged with projects, teamwork, or creativity. Parental engagement is minimal. Parents are rarely welcomed to events, and only one was allowed when invited. Open house is reduced to teachers writing their names on the board rather than presenting their teaching style or curriculum. The school motto emphasizes behavior and conformity over curiosity and growth. Annual fundraising subsidizes field trips rather than addressing critical facility gaps. The campus is tiny yet holds 700+ students. On the positive side, classrooms have air conditioning, the children are generally well behaved, and the office staff are kind and helpful. Families deserve better. Leadership must shift from "doing the minimum" to creating an environment where children thrive academically, socially, and creatively.

We absolutely love this school! My son will be heading into first grade this year and we are so…read morelucky to be a part of this wonderful program! Cannot wait until both boys are there next year! Thank you for taking such good care of my son!

A few notable experiences in elementary:…read more 1st grade - Wow, a computer!! Oregon Trail?! 2nd grade trip to Maui - chorus performance 4th grade trip to Big Island - learned about Hawaiian culture 5th grade sleepover at Bishop Museum - played all night long with friends 6th grade Camp Erdman trip - played and bonded with friends 31 Yelps Review Challenge - 20 of 31

This school is soooo slow at doing anything. Their website is NOT updated on time, they do not have…read morehelp for student (i.e. tutoring) for K-1, I had to hire a tutor because my child was not getting the attention needed and there is very little or delayed communication from the teacher to the parents (i.e. in class performance & grades on their tests, we don't see that until the following week). I do not know about you but my child gets rewarded for having a good week and getting 100% on his tests, but what kind of reward is it when it is not until the following week? There are simple ways to solve the schools short comings but it is if they truly want to; 1. Update and continuously update your website (i.e. calendar, teacher lists, events...) 2. Have an online classroom for parents to look at to make sure their child is doing the homework and has their daily/weekly progress reports (FOR ALL GRADES!). This would alleviate sooo much miscommunication between teacher and parents. (i.e. homework online used for online access to homework assignments, study materials and lesson notes and a parent portal that provides parents access to student attendance, progress reports, and report cards). Today our society is technologically savvy and so are the kids, why not keep up and in the process help the kids? Maybe if they did these updates there school might raise from a 6 on greatschool.com to maybe an 8 or 9.

Makaha Elementary School is located in a residential area. I have not attended the school…read morepersonally. I only go to the school during election years. Residents of Makaha would head on over to the school on primary and general election days. Voting takes place in the cafeteria. Residents are able to read the proposed laws poster that is provided on the wall. There's also a listing of voters names. Find your name then you're in the right place. Find a deceased loved ones name then inform the election worker that the individual had passed away and gone to a better place. Stepping inside the cafeteria there are tables set up with election workers. Head to your last name initial line to show identification card and sign in. Proceed to the designated voting booths. Each voting booths are covered with curtains and a pen is provided for the residents. Done filling out the forms...head on over to the exit door to cast the votes. Slip the forms in the machine and the machine will say "Thank You for Voting". Cafeteria itself was very hot. There were few fans turned on to help cool down residents and the election workers. In order to avoid a hot room on voting days...it's best for residents of Makaha to do early voting at Kapolei Hale or other early voting locations. 173/200

To start, I'd like to say I honestly wouldn't have wanted to grow up at any other school. This…read moreschool was very much run like a family and the teachers were honestly amazing educators. Back when I attended, we had what was called IRA, which was a rotational class every week or every other week where we did art, science, farming, music and hawaiian culture. After Makaha, I went to Kamehameha Schools starting 7th grade and let me tell you... of all the people I've met over the years at Kamehameha, none has ever told me of an elementary school experience like the one I had. Makaha Elementary to me, is honestly one of the most "Hawaiian" cultured schools on the island. In Hawaiian culture class, and throughout our normal homeroom curriculum, we learned about hawaiian values. There was a different value every module and in each module, there was a story that taught the value and had a moral to it. Also in culture class, we made crafts, learned and sang hawaiian songs, chanted, and I believe we even danced hula. I can't tell you how important it is to learn culture at such a young age and to have it taught as a normal part of curriculum and not as a "novelty" like hula might be taught in other schools. We were brought up with a hawaiian mindset and I really think it helped me to be a better person. In addition to culture, sustainability is SO important. To my knowledge, not many other schools teach about farming and sustainability, let alone have their kids actually INVOLVED in it. They didn't just teach us about it from a textbook, we grew up participating in it on Mr. Gigi's farm. Each grade was in charge of a different project on the farm. We planted seeds in the nursery, planted and harvested beans (and fried them into string bean fries mmm), grew and harvested bananas, created and maintained a model of the polynesian triangle, and we even built structures on the farm. We helped to build the woodworking house and we also helped with the gazebo though I think by now it's been completely re-done. If the curriculum was the same in the future, I would send my kids here. There was so much I gained from going to this school that I wouldn't have if i had gone to a more privileged school with affluent students and families. I do not at all regret not getting into Kamehameha in kindergarten. I don't think I was meant to go there, because I was meant to understand the importance of what I learned here so I can encourage it and teach it when I got older. The only reason I did not give Makaha 5 stars is because of the state of some of the facilities at the current moment. It would be amazing if they could get funding for a complete renovation because this school does so much for these west coast kids, more even than other schools. I hope one day that more students and others also see how valuable the education is at Makaha, and that it will afford them better facilities and more programs for the kids.

Good teachers. Lousy everything else…read more Recess does not include any organized play of any kind. Problems aren't addressed pro-actively by staff. Parking sucks. Classrooms are hot. The food is garbage.

It's easy to complain about a business, government organization or school, but I'll leave my review…read moretaking into consideration the school does what it can with the resources made available to them. I would have left four stars, but the poor kids go without air conditioning. First, my child has been coming here for four years, and this makes year five. I've eaten breakfast probably four times over time, and it's pretty bad. I had some type of breakfast burrito and it had some yellow gooey egg creation....sorry, it was horrible. Another time I had a cinnamon roll that was dry as a desert....again, horrible. I know school isn't really about what is served for breakfast, but there is room for improvement. There are probably many items served that are great for the kids I'm not aware of. I haven't eaten their lunch, so I cannot comment. The classrooms are roomy with a private bathroom in "some" of the classes, not all. I think there is one made available for the lower grades. I haven't had any real problems with the teachers so far. In fact, my child has had really good teachers...we'll keep our fingers crossed! I would like to see more physical fitness or organized activities at recess. Kids are stuck with tons of homework every day, so they are limited on time they spend doing things to keep them healthy and fit. There are a lot of fund raisers, which I would highly support if I knew where the money was being spent. Sure, a letter comes out from the Principle saying the many areas money "can" be spent with the funds raised, but each fundraiser should be very specific on what it is focused on....a field trip, continuing education for teaches, a scholarship for a Campbell High School Student(which I don't agree with), or maybe school supplies. I know the school raises thousands of dollars on fundraising, and I don't like the idea that all of that money simply goes into a "pot" to use at their discretion. Transparency is a good thing!!! The appearance of the school needs some improvement. Get a new fence on the front of the school and clear out all of those weeds and stuff. The fence looks dilapidated and old. Get a new school sign...that one looks like it was from 1950 or something. The grassy area under all the trees (toward Ft. Weaver Road) could be made into parking lot, because Parents DO NOT have many options for parking at the school. Why don't we do a fundraiser for that project??? I'm sure it would garner much support!! None of these comments are meant to sound rude or disrespectful; they are simply suggestions I hope get heard. I really like the school's new website. It's full of useful information and has a cool look!!! Great job!!! My child seems happy attending this school, so that is important. It's not like parents get a real choice of where their child gets to place thir child anyway right? It's based on zoning or where you live.

Over the past year, I have observed what I believe to be a significant decline in the school's…read moreleadership, culture, and overall educational environment. My family has become increasingly concerned about what appears to be unequal treatment of students. In our experience, children of faculty members seem to receive preferential treatment in certain areas, including participation in sports, access to elective opportunities, and disciplinary matters. Additionally, the school's Board of Trustees appears to include several faculty members whose children attend the school, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the lack of independent oversight. Information regarding board membership is not readily available on the school's website, making it difficult for families to understand the school's governance structure. As tuition-paying families, we expect a system that is fair, transparent, and accountable to all students equally. When faculty members report to administrators, administrators report to a board that includes faculty members, and many decision-makers have children enrolled at the school, it raises legitimate concerns regarding checks and balances. We have also witnessed significant turnover among experienced teachers. Many highly qualified educators have left and have been replaced by individuals with limited or no formal teaching experience. In our opinion, this has negatively affected classroom management and student learning. There have been reports from students that, at times, they were discouraged from using the restroom or drinking water during class. Students have also received demerits for accidental incidents, such as knocking over a water bottle, with such accidents being treated as intentional disruptions. My own child has experienced disciplinary actions that I believe were unfair. On one occasion, I received an email stating that my child was removed from class because he was "smirking," resulting in lost instructional time and an inability to complete class assignments. On another occasion, he was required to handwrite a study guide that had originally been distributed while he was absent. I have also received several emails from school administration accusing my child of serious misconduct and stating that he showed no remorse for his actions. In at least one instance, after reviewing the school's surveillance footage, I found that the circumstances described to me were inconsistent with what was shown on the video. Every parent deserves confidence that their child will be treated fairly, that disciplinary decisions will be based on facts, and that school leadership will operate with transparency, professionalism, and accountability. Unfortunately, our experience has led us to question whether those standards are currently being met.

This school is a great resource for educating the keiki in our community. I have many friends who…read morehave educated the children at TLS, all with great results. Great faculty and administration.

Beautiful campus and the site of this year's 2nd Lā Kūʻokoʻa Festival…read more Great host and hostess, lots of food vendors and food trucks.... delicious drinks, educational booths, beautiful crafts and fun games for everyone. The music got you dancing and the Hula Halau's showed off their talent. The weather was nice and the sounds of the ocean made this special event of Lā Kūʻokoʻa Festival as special as its message

Personally had terrible experiences with this school. The…read morestaff was very rude and disrespectful toward me. Im an older sister of 3 siblings who attend this school. When I go to pick them up, I get all the attitude because it's not my mother picking them up (my mom does not live with me, I help my dad by picking up kids when it's his turn with custody). After seeing my siblings after months, My siblings had infected open cuts that the nurse was not aware of and apparently didn't care about because the children didn't come and complain about it. One of them is in preschool. And there was a situation where my brother called me from the office to pick him up. When I arrived about 20 min later (there was traffic on the way to nanakuli), the after school program took the longest time and had difficulty finding him and telling me where he was. They took me to various locations around the school & called around, which had me worried about how they keep track of children after school. We eventually came to realization that someone else had picked him up, about 45 min after I arrived. My siblings also tell me about their disciplinary training. And they included how they have to write their teacher an apology letter when they forget their practice sheet for their recorder (flute type instrument). And how my younger sister in preschool gets kicked out of my 4th grade sister's class by the teacher before school hours because she's just not allowed to be in there before school. Parking is hectic, and the turn to go into the school is barely a turn at all, I think they're trying to build a streetlight for the turn. My siblings are also afraid to go to the basketball courts after school, they still have yet to tell me why. They just don't. I added another star because the security guards are actually very nice. But that is about it. Wish I had better experiences. Unfortunately, trying to get the kids transferred out is my only option at this point.

This school is the BEST! My granddaughter was at this school for two years and LOVED every day…read more The teachers were great, the principal amazing and the staff very caring and efficient. A very safe and nurturing environment. God loving structure was the best.

Let me just start by saying that you get what you pay for literally. My other half and I decided to…read moresend our child here for preschool. Communication between the school and ourselves were seamless. It was so easy to get the information that we needed in order for our little one to be set. My other half went on their tour and was just mind blown at how well behaved these preschoolers were. This is not your typical traditional school. The campus is nestled in Pearl city on E Komo Mai Drive. I am so beyond excited for him to start school with this legacy who has had the best reputation over numerous years. Everyone here, including the head of the school is nothing but professional and respectful.

I have no words to describe what this school has meant for our little ohana. Our child attended…read morefor two years and was provided with exceptional care and compassion, patience, and everything you could ask for in a preschool. Every teacher there felt like they were born to be a pre-school teacher! We feel incredibly grateful to have found Ewa Plains Enrichment in Ewa Beach for our son. From the very beginning, it felt personal. We were not just enrolling in a school but becoming part of a warm, loving community that felt like family. Miss Jessica and the entire team of teachers are everything you would hope for in a preschool. They are warm, kind, intelligent, and fully engaged with the children. Their sincerity and care were evident every single day. It was almost tangible how much they truly loved each child, including ours. The mission of Ewa Plains Enrichment feels centered in love. Every lesson, classroom moment, and interaction reflects that. Our son not only learned how to read here, but something lit up inside him. It was as if a light switched on, and now he reads his own bedtime stories with joy and confidence. This milestone was nurtured by the school's incredible literacy program and the encouragement of his teachers. The school's focus on literacy is truly outstanding. The dedication and joy the teachers bring to reading is something our family will never forget. We also deeply appreciated the school's commitment to Hawaiian culture. Field trips to the lo'i, the pumpkin patch, and the library helped connect learning to the land and the community. Through songs, stories, and hands-on experiences, the children developed a strong sense of place and respect. As a Buddhist family, we always felt completely welcomed and respected at this Christian school. The values of kindness, compassion, gratitude, and responsibility were shared in a loving and inclusive way that felt deeply aligned with our home life. Our son also had the opportunity to share his own heritage during Culture Week and to learn about the cultures of his classmates. Seeing his identity honored and celebrated was incredibly meaningful and helped him feel proud and connected. The school created beautiful memories throughout the year, from Christmas and Easter performances to a heartfelt Mother's Day celebration. Preschool graduation was one of the best graduation events I have ever attended. It was thoughtful, joyful, and full of love. You could see how much the staff cared about each and every child. During a year when our family needed to take extended international trips, the school was flexible, understanding, and supportive. They even prepared homework packets for our son to bring with him, so he could stay connected and continue learning while we traveled. That level of care and thoughtfulness meant so much to us. Ewa Plains Enrichment has been around for many years, and that experience shows in the most beautiful ways. The staff have worked with so many different types of children and family situations, and their understanding, flexibility, and wisdom come through in how they support each student. You can tell they have truly seen it all and are prepared to meet each child where they are, with love and confidence. Ewa Plains Enrichment consistently goes above and beyond what is expected. They are always thinking about the children and their future. This is not just a school. It is a place where children are truly seen, nurtured, and loved. We will be forever grateful to this school, which is a true gift to the community and island!

Our family is so fortunate and blessed to have found this school! We desired a school that was not…read morejust a "daycare" but one that would challenge our son and continue to foster his growth intellectually as well as be faith based. Our child has excelled and fluorished not only in academics but also socially and spiritually. His growth here has been astounding. The staff here are amazing and were able to create a lesson plan and curriculum based on his needs. They address all aspects of a child's development and offer different activities and experiences for them. He went through three different neighboring preschools before we found this one and we wished we had found it sooner.