Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School

278 Ainako Ave
Hilo, HI 96720
(School attendance zone shown in map)
10/
10
Top 10%
Serving 486 students in grades Prekindergarten-6, Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School ranks in the top 10% of all schools in Hawaii for overall test scores (math proficiency is top 10%, and reading proficiency is top 10%).
The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 71% (which is higher than the Hawaii state average of 38%). The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 75% (which is higher than the Hawaii state average of 52%).
The student:teacher ratio of 20:1 is higher than the Hawaii state level of 14:1.
Minority enrollment is 89% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is equal to the Hawaii state average of 89% (majority Asian).

Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • School Type: Magnet School
  • Grades: Prekindergarten-6
  • Enrollment: 486 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 20:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 89%
  • : Top 10% in HI
  • : 71% (Top 10%)
  • : 75% (Top 10%)
  • : 75-79% (Top 5%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), HI Dept. of Education

Top Rankings

Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Hawaii for:

School Overview

Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School's student population of 486 students has grown by 7% over five school years.
The teacher population of 24 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
School Type
Grades Offered
Grades Prekindergarten-6
Total Students
486 students
This chart displays total students of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Gender %
This chart displays gender of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School
Total Classroom Teachers
24 teachers
This chart displays the total teachers of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Students by Grade
This chart displays the students of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School by grade.

School Rankings

Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School ranks within the top 10% of all 292 schools in Hawaii (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data).
The diversity score of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School is 0.77, which is less than the diversity score at state average of 0.80. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School
State Level (HI)
#19 out of 292 schools
(Top 10%)
This chart displays the overall school rank of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
71%
38%
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of public schools in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
75%
52%
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Hawaii by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
75-79%
40%
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of public schools in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio
20:1
14:1
This chart displays the student teacher ratio of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the public school average student teacher ratio of Hawaii by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
American Indian
n/a
n/a
This chart displays the percentage of American Indian students in Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and percentage of American Indian public school students in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2007-08 school year data.
Asian
14%
25%
This chart displays the percentage of Asian students in Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of Asian public school students in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Hispanic
23%
18%
This chart displays the percentage of Hispanic students in Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of Hispanic public school students in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Black
n/a
1%
This chart displays the percentage of Black students in Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of Black public school students in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2019-20 school year data.
White
11%
11%
This chart displays the percentage of White students in Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of White public school students in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Hawaiian
16%
26%
This chart displays the percentage of Hawaiian students in Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of Hawaiian public school students in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Two or more races
36%
19%
This chart displays the percentage of students of two or more races in Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of public school students of two or more races in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
All Ethnic Groups
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School.
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of public school students of all ethnic groups in Hawaii.
0.77
This chart displays the diversity score of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the public school average diversity score of Hawaii by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
Yes
Eligible for Free Lunch
23%
37%
This chart displays the percentage of students who is eligible for free lunch in Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for free lunch in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Eligible for Reduced Lunch
6%
9%
This chart displays the percentage of students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Hawaii by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), HI Dept. of Education

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School's ranking?
Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School is ranked #19 out of 292 schools, which ranks it among the top 10% of public schools in Hawaii.
What schools are Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School often compared to?
Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary Schoolis often viewed alongside schools like Haaheo Elementary School, Kaumana Elementary School, Hilo Union Elementary School by visitors of our site.
What percent of students have achieved state testing proficiency in math and reading?
71% of students have achieved math proficiency (compared to the 38% HI state average), while 75% of students have achieved reading proficiency (compared to the 52% HI state average).
How many students attend Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School?
486 students attend Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School.
What is the racial composition of the student body?
36% of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School students are Two or more races, 23% of students are Hispanic, 16% of students are Hawaiian, 14% of students are Asian, and 11% of students are White.
What is the student:teacher ratio of Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School?
Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School has a student ration of 20:1, which is higher than the Hawaii state average of 14:1.
What grades does Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School offer ?
Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School offers enrollment in grades Prekindergarten-6
What school district is Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School part of?
Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School is part of Hawaii Department Of Education School District.

School Calendar

View the Ernest Bowen Desilva Elementary School yearly calendar below.

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Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • School Type: Magnet School
  • Grades: Prekindergarten-6
  • Enrollment: 486 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 20:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 89%
  • : Top 10%
  • : 71% (Top 10%)
  • : 75% (Top 10%)
  • : 75-79% (Top 5%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), HI Dept. of Education

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