Hay Springs Public Schools

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Hay Springs, Nebraska - 4 schools

An equity score of 72/100 ranks Hay Springs Public Schools #29 of 200 districts in Nebraska (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $18,245 per pupil, Hay Springs Public Schools ranks #89 of 244 Nebraska districts by per-pupil spending (Nebraska districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

201
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$18,245
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Hay Springs Public Schools operates 4 public schools serving 201 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Nebraska. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Sheridan County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,245 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 244 Nebraska districts by per-pupil spending. See how Nebraska compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 47.8% local, 45.0% state, and 7.2% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 72/100, ranked #29 of 200 in Nebraska against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 515.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 17.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.3% White, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hay Springs Early Childhood, with a diversity index of 50.6/100.

Its largest campus is Hay Springs Elementary School, enrolling 81 students (41% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Hay Springs Early Childhood, at 15 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Hay Springs Elementary School accounts for 40.3% of all Hay Springs Public Schools student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Hay Springs Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Hay Springs Public Schools school enrollment varies 5.4× across entities

Hay Springs Public Schools school enrollment ranges from 15 students (lowest) to 81 students (highest), a spread of 66 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Hay Springs Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 516:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Hay Springs Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 17.5% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Hay Springs Public Schools is typically wider than the Hay Springs Public Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

7.2%
Federal
45.0%
State
47.8%
Local

Funding Equity

72
Equity Score
29 / 200
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Hay Springs Public Schools.

White 76.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
African American 0.6%
Multiracial 8.7%
Other 8.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 39.1/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Hay Springs Public Schools's schools, above the Nebraska average of 34.9.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Hay Springs Early Childhood 50.6
  2. 2 Hay Springs Elementary School 36.1
  3. 3 Hay Springs High School 34.9
  4. 4 Hay Springs Middle School 34.7

Programs & Resources

515.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
17.5%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Hay Springs Public Schools

School Enrollment
Hay Springs Elementary School
81
Hay Springs High School
59
Hay Springs Middle School
45
Hay Springs Early Childhood
15

How Hay Springs Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Nebraska districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Stuart Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Ansley Public Schools Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Elwood Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
University of Nebraska High School Similar size No spending data No revenue-mix data
Elgin Public Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Hay Springs Public Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Nebraska

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Omaha Public Schools
51,754 students · 111 schools · $14,202/pupil
Compare vs Hay Springs Public Schools →
Lincoln Public Schools
41,850 students · 76 schools · $12,831/pupil
Compare vs Hay Springs Public Schools →
Millard Public Schools
23,637 students · 36 schools · $11,075/pupil
Compare vs Hay Springs Public Schools →
Elkhorn Public Schools
11,319 students · 20 schools · $11,003/pupil
Compare vs Hay Springs Public Schools →

Compare Hay Springs Public Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Omaha Public Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Hay Springs Public Schools?

Hay Springs Public Schools has 4 schools, including 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 201 students.

How much does Hay Springs Public Schools spend per student?

Hay Springs Public Schools spends $18,245 per student. The district has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #29 in Nebraska.

What is the demographic composition of Hay Springs Public Schools?

Hay Springs Public Schools students are 76.3% White, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Hay Springs Public Schools?

Hay Springs Public Schools has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #29 out of 200 districts in Nebraska.