Total enrollment
3,434
+256 (+8%) vs SY 2020-21
7 schools in Hays
Kansas · 3,434 students · 1 city
Public schools in the Hays system total 7 schools across Kansas, with roughly 3,434 students enrolled (4 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high).
4-year change in Hays
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
7
+1 (+17%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Hays ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In Kansas | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 44.3% | #24 of 124 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 3,434 | #28 of 156 | #2,835 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 7 | #32 of 156 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.6:1 | #150 of 154 | #6,862 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 42.1% | #102 of 156 | #5,272 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 33.2% | #53 of 85 | #4,548 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Hays
State test results across the district's 6 scored schools run from Kathryn O'Loughlin McCarthy Elem at 69.5% proficient to Hays Middle School at 35.1%, a gap of 34.5 points. That is the 20th widest gap among 60 Kansas districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 6 district schools that reported both years went from 3,113 to 3,172 students (up 2%) and from 172 to 205 full-time teachers (up 19%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hays High | Hays | High | 09-12 | 1,017 |
| Hays Middle School | Hays | Middle | 06-08 | 726 |
| Roosevelt Elem | Hays | Elementary | KG-05 | 420 |
| Kathryn O'Loughlin McCarthy Elem | Hays | Elementary | KG-05 | 371 |
| Woodrow Wilson Elem | Hays | Elementary | KG-05 | 364 |
| Lincoln Elem | Hays | Elementary | PK-05 | 274 |
| Hays Virtual School | Hays | Combined | KG-12 | 262 |
About Hays
Across 7 schools, Hays educates about 3,434 students in Kansas. By footprint it is a rural-scale district.
For a sense of the school types, Hays is built around 4 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high school, and 1 combined or other.
Per-school enrollment averages around 491 in this district, meaningfully above the Kansas typical of 355.
Five-year track record. Total public-school enrollment in Hays has rose 8% since SY 2020-21, moving from about 3,178 students to 3,434. Over that span, Hays opened 1 school, going from 6 to 7.
On this page, the community for Hays discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Parents, students, and educators in the area can post or comment.