Best Schools in Hilo, Hawaii

Hilo's public school system covers 15 ranked schools spanning elementary, middle, and high grades, with a citywide average score of 5.9 out of 10. That places the typical Hilo school squarely in the middle tier nationally. The spread across campuses is worth noting: only 3 of the 15 ranked schools — 20 percent — score 7 or above, which means the top performers are meaningfully separated from the rest of the field rather than clustered together.

The strongest school in the city is Hilo Union Elementary School, scoring 7.6 and sitting well above the 5.9 citywide average. Ka Umeke Kaeo Public Charter School follows at 7.4, making it the only non-traditional school in the top tier. Charter enrollment typically requires an application and is subject to availability, so families interested in Ka Umeke Kaeo should plan early. Hilo Intermediate School rounds out the 7-plus group at 7.3, giving families with middle-schoolers a competitive neighborhood option within that bracket.

At the high school level, Waiakea High School leads with a 6.8 — above the city average but below the 7-point mark that separates the top tier. Haaheo Elementary scores 6.6, rounding out the top five. The remaining ten schools fall roughly between 4 and 6, a range where performance varies noticeably from campus to campus. In a city this size, address-to-school assignment carries real weight: families zoned to lower-performing schools face a meaningful gap relative to what's available across town.

For parents researching Hilo, the search narrows quickly. Three schools clear the 7-plus threshold, and two of them serve elementary-age students. Families who can access Hilo Union through their address or Ka Umeke Kaeo through the charter process are working with the city's strongest options. Everyone else should map their zoned school against the 5.9 average, then decide whether the fit is acceptable or whether a charter application is worth pursuing. The gap between Hilo's top and middle tiers is real, and closing that gap comes down to planning early.