Lt Col Horrace Meek Hickam Elementary School

Posted: November 24, 2022

For the sake of our child's privacy, I cannot divulge specifics but it would be remiss of me not to leave a review (warning) for other families. Our family had one of the worst experiences at Hickam Elementary School which took a huge toll on us and quite a long time to recover. I've heard so many parents rave about HES but for those few of us who had terrible experiences here, our concerns/issues get drowned out by the aforementioned parents claiming everything is "great" and by rude and dismissive school staff.

Because this school is located on a military base, it is heavily focused on military life. NBD except, if you are not a military affiliated family and your child(ren) attend this school, be prepared for your child(ren) to be treated as secondary to the military kids and classist attitudes to be an issue. This may not be the case for the majority of students/families at this school, but as I previously mentioned, when it does occur it is a serious problem. In fact, it was so much of a problem that it greatly affected our family's mental health and quality of life while also balancing the special needs of our child. Also, if your child(ren) have any special needs, this school might not be helpful with any sort of communication surrounding that matter, especially if you are a parent new to having a young student in school. Speaking from experience, we were blown off A LOT and when there was some sort of communication from the school, it was done in an incredibly unprofessional manner.

Bullying was a real concern for us at HES. Our child's academics, mental health, and well-being drastically improved after leaving.

Other less mentioned annoyances that were tolerable but I'll include anyway: some of the office staff are so condescending and rude while simultaneously disorganized and inept; heaven forbid you kindly greet them and ask a simple question. There aren't many extracurricular options. There isn't much shade/space for outdoor activities so when it rains, the kids are relegated to a small sidewalk space outside classrooms for their recess. Communication in many aspects of the school's functioning is almost non-existent.

There were a few staff and counselors who are wonderful people and we are incredibly grateful to and for them for all that they do.

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Posted: February 3, 2020

3 years was far too many years at this school. So glad to be gone and so thankful we will never be back.

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Posted: May 22, 2019

I would say Kindergarten was the only good experience we had. First grade was simply unimpressive. Second grade however was a disaster. The teacher (new hire for the year) we had was terrible. The 2nd grade team lead, who was supposed to keep the grade as a whole on track, completely ignored our class and let them fall behind after our teacher was removed. The parents were assured that the team leader was on top of the situation but that was a complete lie. When our permanent sub was hired the students were given 13 assignments that had been missed during the 3 week transition between teachers. That does not show me the 2nd grade team lead was doing anything for our class at all.

Posted: May 22, 2019

The school administration is more concerned with thier own image on paper to put effort into teaching or practicing what they claim.

Posted: May 22, 2019

This year my 2nd grader was completely failed by the school. Thier teacher was pulled part way through the 3rd quarter. They had a 3 week period with 8 separate substitutes, some days the teacher wasn't called until the morning of, sometimes the class was opened up 30 min late with zero supervision from the school. The Principal, Mrs. Bender, was completely unhelpful. She did not inform parents of the change or of any plan going forward. When confronted by parents she blew us off as if this was unimportant. Don't expect to get anywhere with the current leadership!

Posted: May 22, 2019

Not an issue we personally delt with.

Posted: May 22, 2019

Not an issue we personally delt with.

Posted: May 22, 2019

Definitely more negatives than positives. We have had a very complicated experience for both of my kids in the 3 years here. We had Mrs. Sasaki for both kids in Kindergarten. She is fantastic! A little tough sometimes (not a bad thing) but consistent and organized. You are never left out of the loop with anything going on in the classroom.

First grade was "meh" at best. Nothing of note other than not having many parent resources to help our son with his common core homework. They use different verbage than when I did 1st grade math so it was difficult to try and help without confusing my son.

Second grade is where it all went down hill. The administration pulled our teacher early in the 3rd quarter. It took three weeks, 8 different subs, several concerned parents, and meetings with DOE officials & JBPJH command, before the class had any stability again. The parents had to go to the administration for answers because there was zero communication about the events. The principal gave multiple stories to multiple parents of the class on the situation. Not once did anyone from the school take responsibility for any of the bad decisions made in regards to our students. To be fair the teacher that was removed wasn't a good fit at all. I'm not upset that she was replaced. In fact the permanit sub they finally hired, Mrs. Imhoff, is absolutely wonderful. I only wish the kids could have had her as a teacher for more of the year. I am however upset that it took the school to the 3rd quarter before intervening if there was a known problem. On top of that to have no plan in place going forward or giving the parents any kind of a heads up to prepare for the transition. The school administration has not taken any responsibility for their screw up or offered any written document to the parents to explain the entire classes downturn in grades. The report cards between different 2nd grade rooms showed that some classes were graded on subject that other classes weren't. That kind of inconsistency does not indicate that Hickam Elementary has the integrity they claim to uphold.

In short, if you get a good teacher and have no interaction with the principal or her administration then you probably won't have any issues. If that isn't the case then don't expect any communication or any resolution for your concerns.

Posted: May 22, 2019

Just know that common core takes some getting used to. Don't expect parent resources to allow you to help your children with the material. They use different verbage than they way I learned math. It can be very confusing to students if you yourself don't know the methods they are learning.

Posted: February 16, 2019

I am so very thankful that we have only had one incident since starting at this school but the bullying problem is usually and issue the moment that the children step off the school grounds.
Our oldest likes to ride his bike home with a few of his friends after school while I pick up or walk back with his younger sister and often tells me that the same few kids are seen antagonizing someone after school. We had said something to the school but they will not do anything due to the fact that it is not on school property they ignore it.

Posted: February 16, 2019

Nearly every night my 1st and 3rd graders have over 3 hours of homework that is not only tedious but they already know how to do the work.

Posted: February 16, 2019

I've been trying to get both of my child's teachers to either move them up in reading and math or to help me just move them ahead to the next grade so they are challenged with no help whatsoever.

Posted: February 16, 2019

Forced character building with minimal to no results.

Posted: February 16, 2019

Speaking with the principal and the rest of the staff to find information is a joke. Our oldest was to take their "gifted" classes after we did all of the work to get him in, they did not have a place for him not because of the size of class, but rather due to the teacher they accidentally put him under. We were also informed at the time of this meeting that our youngest should also be in the "gifted" program and that there was a spot for her. My husband and I were flabbergasted with this idiotic situation but she is in the class and we are still waiting a month later for the teachers to switch our oldest into a different teacher's class so he may also participate.

Posted: February 16, 2019

We do not have children with learning differences but our neighbor has a child here at Hickam and has constantly complained about how her child comes home with bags of sugar items that they do not allow in their home and is always given excess schoolwork that is not completed in school for homework on top of extra worksheets that are done for the actual homework.

Posted: February 16, 2019

I do not recommend this school to anyone who wants their child to excel outside in the real world. My children are given so much homework that we are not talking about homeschooling like a few of our friends have.
The headache isn't worth it. We also chose the house we are in due to this school, we are in officer field and the house is old and needs to be gutted. We were blind sighted with this school/house, if I had known of all of this we would chosen to live elsewhere.

Posted: August 22, 2018

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Posted: August 22, 2018

My daughter was a student there from kindergarten through 6th grade. The teachers, staff and administration are wonderful. The music program under the direction of Mrs. Higashi is second to none. We are so fortunate to have spent many years there.

Posted: August 22, 2018

Posted: June 5, 2018

Our entire family had a great experience. We loved the teachers, felt our children learned and developed so well. We loved the academics, the culture and had a wonderful 3 years there for 2 studeents.

Posted: June 5, 2018

The 3 years with 2 students I felt the homework was a balance....enough to see what they were learning but not overwhelming.

Posted: June 5, 2018

We had a great experience with the 6 teachers we had during this time at the school over 3 years for 2 students. I loved their approach, the way they each saw the positive skill set but also addressed areas to improve....they all worked to help my kids love learning even more.

Posted: June 5, 2018

I think this school has an amazing balance between fosting the military awareness and character development along with the Hawaiian culture in their activities, awards ceremonies, tributes and so on. It also fosters character in their principles they teach every day....far greater than just academics.

Posted: June 5, 2018

We loved the principal when we were there and even during the time that the VP was filling in.....the PTA was also great with activities and communication. I recall once incident with my oldest when we first moved there that was handled timely and effectively with the principal....just very impressed.

Posted: June 5, 2018

I don't have a situation that required a special need or learning difference so I'm not sure.

Posted: June 5, 2018

We had two incidents and the first the Principal was on it before I even knew about it. Spoke to both sets of parents, the students and got the student they help they needed....the boys ended up becoming friends. 2nd was with girls and the teacher did a great job of having the counselor come in and discuss the issue and it was fantastic. I was so impressed.

Posted: June 3, 2018

Seemed about the right amount - just a page or two of worksheets for a kindergarten student; great for the parent to see & know what his/her child is working on.

Posted: June 3, 2018

My son's teacher was amazing! At the 1st parent-teacher conference, I could tell that she was a pro at her job; knew each kid and their strengths/weaknesses, had a plan to work on those, did a great job communicating those to me.

Posted: June 3, 2018

Character traits seemed to be emphasized at every turn - in the school's motto, during class, during assemblies, etc. Had no issues with the school (teachers, students, admin) the whole year.

Posted: June 3, 2018

Did a great job keeping parents informed through emails and correspondence home. They hosted some very nice assemblies / awards ceremonies that the parents were invited to.

Posted: June 3, 2018

Teacher talked about how she adapts for different children. Had a time to work in small groups or 1-on-1 with students who needed extra help.

Posted: June 3, 2018

Not aware of this being an issue in my child's class.

Posted: June 3, 2018

Loved it! My child is a proficient reading after kindergarten at this school - perhaps more importantly, he enjoys school! Great experience all-around.

Posted: January 29, 2015

My children attended this school for 3 years and we loved it. The leadership is approachable and has a good connection with the children. The teachers are fantastic, the curriculum is good, but we did supplement with Kumon which we would have done anywhere while in Hawaii. The clubs and after school activities began mid-way through our time and that made it even better. Would highly recommend.

Posted: October 30, 2014

I think, with the right teacher, a student can flourish. But the teachers are all over the map it seems. I will point to Mrs. Mineshima and Mrs. Weimer as two teachers we had that we loved. But others are...meh. some are task masters only concerned with test scores. Others are drill sergeants who harp on kids for being kids. Others rely entirely too much on parental involvement. Some do not ever communicate with the parents. It really just depends on who you get. Test scores are good, but really, only by Hawaiian standards. But let's look at the school population: non-Hawaiian kids, mostly senior enlisted or officer kids. NOT the typical Hawaiian population. So, you see a 10 on this and think, wow, it must be amazing! But really, the test scores are not comparing apples with apples. I hate to say it, but the local schools are largely abysmal in comparison, but that does not mean that Hickam is amazing--it only seems that way by comparison on paper, because I believe the great schools score is largely dependent on test scores. If parent reviews were factored in as well, I believe the score would be more toward average. I would give it more of a 5/10.

Posted: June 11, 2014

I love this school! My son is in special ed and my daughter is in 1st grade. After 3 years of a horrid school on island I am finally loving a school! Hawaii is a hard place to deal with schools, but Hickam is a great fit for our family. We were sending our daughter to private school and find Hickam to be equal to those standards. Love the teachers and staff....

Posted: January 15, 2014

My kids attended Hickam from 2010-2013. While some of the teachers and staff are great, I am going to address the problem with 2nd grade specifically, and the policies that are not being upheld to state standard. I had to homeschool my 2nd grader after unsuccessfully working with the teacher, and principle. The work load is overwhelming, fun activities are only permitted if all work is done, kids are all expected to perform at the same level, and recesses are used as punishment to complete work if not done. This is against state regulations. For years, I've heard, and experienced these problems, and parents are told "well everyone else can keep up". This is not true. My son rarely had a behavioral problem, but struggled in English. By the end of 1st quarter, he felt he was the worst student and cried about missing Rocking Readers, Recesses, and Parties. My volunteering in class was useless to help the situation. I would encourage any parent going through this to get involved in voicing our frustrations and make a positive change. I found many parents going through the same thing at Hickam, but nothing changed for the better.

Posted: August 17, 2013

My daughter attended five schools during her elementary years and this is the best by far, even compared to a school in the mainland that is the top 100 elementary schools. The principal has done his best to preserve extracurricular programs like the Gifted/Talented, PE, art, music, clubs and others by being creative with the teachers. The students had PE every week and twice every other week, far more than most schools that offer only every other week. I found the music teacher to be flexible--she didn't force all of the kids to learn the recorder if they were already working on a different instrument, she incorporated them. My daughter's teachers always communicated progress. The comment about students helping with lunch is a state-wide setup and the half day on Wed is statewide mandated. Fridays were used to expand cultural knowledge, school-wide physical activities, rewards for good students and extra instructions for poor performing students. Now back on the mainland in Maryland which is the top state for education, my daughter's counselor was impressed with her scores from Hawaii and the varied education she had.

Posted: May 19, 2013

9 out of 10?!? What? *Most of the teachers aren't very good & don't care., *The administration will tell you what you want to hear knowing that you will be moving within a few years. *lunches are disgusting & the calendar isn't always the same as what they are serving. *If you have a child that needs special education DO NOT SEND THEM HERE! The SpeEd department is staffed with inexperienced teachers that are not qualified & don't care. *Your kid will come home with candy, soda pop, & have a lot of class parties & fun time and YOU will be teaching them via the 3+ hours of homework each night. *They will make sure that the kids do well on their testing but they don't teach concepts to them - just what they need to know in order to boost the school test scores. *They, uh, "encourage" the kids with "bonus bucks" and "crazy cash" so they can buy fun stuff but they also will make a child pay them for various infractions (late homework even with a note and valid excuse from parent). Is the Hawaii school system broken? YES. But I do not think that Hickam Elementary deserves a rating of 9. Do HTA, get the kids into private school, or home school. Too frustrating.

Posted: April 23, 2013

I have a child graduating 6th grade this year. We have been here for four years. I have older children too. I think the parents who are writing good reviews either are new parents or naive. Having older children who graduated cum laude from a University in California, I can personally tell you that if my older children went to Hickam, they would have not been college bound. I have pointed out to the staff that the work at they are doing does not compare to mainland standards. They do nothing in this school. No essays, no reports, nothing but a little math, spelling, simple social studies, etc...I have had to supplement my child's education. However, I am really worried as we are moving back to the mainland and I am sure my child will be behind in middle school. I have been room mom to ensure the best for my child and seen the poor education upfront. The teachers would be shocked if they worked at.a real school in the mainland. I think the teachers and the vice princiapl don't like the " haloes ". There are so many homeschoolers on this base and I could understand. They start at Hickam elementary and then a few months later, they are being home schooled.

Posted: April 22, 2013

I wonder about some comments below, my children have attended Hickam for three years and I have never experienced what has been commented on, I question the validity and parenting styles. I can comment on the leadership of the Principal and his sincere concerns for his students. I have observed him adding on temp teachers when student numbers went too high because of the transient community. I have seen him call each of the some 600 students by name and great them. I have seen him at PTO meetings and engaging parents. I know of his open door policy. It is my opinion that the general mind/focus of the school starts with the principal and that is why I commented mostly about him. The school is a safe and clean environment, mindful it is located in a tropical climate. Resources include music, art (recently, teacher of the year) computer lab, PE, math and reading tutors, transitional personnel to monitor and help children with moves and deployments. Not many schools have these transitional programs. All of the teachers that I have met are passionate about teaching and their craft. Overall I would send my most beloved to be educated there and supplement with home reinforcement.

Posted: January 24, 2013

I don't like this school. Though it's better than the train wreck Aliamanu middle school our son is in. The kids have only 15 mins for lunch even though they tell you it's 30 mins. I showed up at 10:55 for her 11am lunch period. She came in at 11:06 and was dismissed at 11:20. By a microphone wielding woman hollering orders at other kids for various offenses. they selected kids as "lunch room monitors" whose sole purpose was to wipe tables, sweep & dustpan up the droppings after the other kids. I wondered if this was some kind of new age disciplinary measures. Or is there just no kitchen staff? her teacher stuck her nose up at the glue I sent in but then used it so I couldn't exchange it. Also made my 6 yr old daughter cry by telling her she couldn't attend a field trip unless I bought yet ANOTHER special school shirt. They already have uniforms, now they want special shirts for field trips. Between both kids we've spent in excess of $600-650 getting them into public school. This is nuts. Also, it's infested with ants and flies. The day we enrolled her they were crawling all over the front desk at the main office, and the lunch room was swarming with flies when I went.

Posted: June 20, 2012

I came close to wiring my child with a hidden camera-it's that bad!! Administration is very unhelpful, but friendly. I complained a whole bunch in my 3 years here and got good lip service, but it was apparent that you have to go the District for help. I gathered that the Administration is afraid of the teachers. There are some really horrid teachers here that have a cushy job and don't want you to rock the boat. Keeping an email trail with the teachers is very helpful in proving what was happening. I don t know if my children will have the same chances that their older siblings had since they had such a substandard education at this school for the past 3 years. Academics are very poor and you will notice that if you are not a first time parent. However, the school is really concern about the children passing the standardized tests, as my children came home with flash cards on what would be on that test. They have fun Fridays, short Wednesdays, all day parties. I met a military spouse teaching middle school, who told me this was the easiest job as the standards are so low compare to the mainland which confirm to me what I was seeing. But the school is clean and looks nice.

Posted: June 12, 2012

I must say it is amazing to see 2 negative comments post on the same day. There is never going to be a perfect world, nor a perfect school but this one is pretty darn good. Teachers are underpaid but they do not let that stop them from doing the best they can. The principal is fairly new to the school and is working to get rid of problems, Rome was not built in a day.... My daughter attended 5th grade here, my grandson Kg. and 1st. They loved the school. I have substituted at the school and see the dedication of staff. As a full-time teacher for 20 years I have worked in public and private schools (2 of the most famous on the island) and I can say emphatically if you work with the school, they will work with you and your child. Maybe I will try to get a job at Hickam!!

Posted: June 10, 2012

On an island where private and public schools are hit and miss, Hickam Elementary is an exceptional example of high quality elmentary education Hawaiian-style. There is an island emphasis on community (ohana) and doing what is right (pono) that unfortunately is out of fashion on the mainland. Students are expected to do their best academically, and almost all of the teachers are ready and willing to enable their efforts. The administration is top notch and I would be thrilled to have this exact staff and principles at every school my children attend.

Posted: June 10, 2012

My 4th grader had a difficult time this past year. She felt like class time was disorganized and hectic. Then, she would have 2-3 hours of homework every night to make up for the time wasted in class. As a parent, I felt like the school as a whole offered too many parties, movies, and playtime. I want my kids to have fun in school, but not at the expense of real learning. I felt like I was homeschooling when they got home from school with all their homework. So, next year we will be doing HTA.

Posted: January 24, 2012

Students are being taken out all around me and home schooled. The odvious thing is, they are behind academics. They are all about having the children memorize what is on the standarized state test from day one. It feels as if the staff are watching the clock with you. The first couple years, they were helpful with my complaints and such, but this last year it appears they don't care anymore. I think they know your clock is running out and who cares you are leaving soon ( school on military base). They have pretty much Friday Fun day. Wednesday short day. They don't tell the parents about award assemblys unless you child is getting one. But your child has to carry his chair to the front of school and miss academics for an hour and endure the humiliation. Parents are giving gifts to the kids who are getting an award around them. Only a handful of kids per class get an award. I have asked the Principal to stop this practice. Other schools do it afterschool and you only go if you are getting the award. I have heard of fellow officers taking retirement when they are told to go to Hawaii. The school are that bad. It is what you hear about.

Posted: July 30, 2011

Moved on-base from the Ewa Beach area last year. Overall, the administrators, school activities and communication were top-notch. I thought the academics were average--not bad but nothing special compared to my child's teacher at her previous school at Ewa Beach. Not a lot of assignment that required much effort or intellictual stimulation--all textbook. My child even complained of assignments being "too" easy. Hickam Elementary needs to implement the AVID Program something the other school had and was beneficial to all students at the upper elementary level.

Posted: June 17, 2011

I too, would like to add a review for 2011. My daughter has attended Hickam Elementary from Kindergarten to 2nd grade. She is starting 3rd grade next year. 3 years of great experiences with the school. Like the previous person said, we all have our "favorite" teachers though. My daughter was a geographical exception as well. I highly recommend this school. If my children were not attending this school, I would be paying $17K (for two) to attend private school. That is how strongly I feel the difference is between Hickam Elementary and surrounding public schools. My youngest daughter will start Kindergarten at Hickam next school year & I couldn't be happier.