Enrollment
798
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hayden, AL
Hayden High School
Federal NCES profile for Hayden High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010042000208
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hayden High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Hayden · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 36.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Hayden High School has class sizes larger than 73% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hayden High School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Hayden, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hayden High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hayden High School
Hayden High School is a large combined-grade school in Hayden, Alabama, enrolling 798 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 36.1% free-meal eligibility runs 39% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 798 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 233 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #12, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 399 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Hayden's public schools, it stands alongside Hayden Primary School (530 students): Hayden High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19:1 vs 16.1:1).
Blount County also operates Southeastern School (822 students) and Appalachian School (699 students) alongside Hayden High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Hayden High School compares
Hayden High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.1% | ▼ 39% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 798 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
798
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 73% in Alabama - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
7.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,779
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 399 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
73
in-school suspensions + 84 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 93.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
Two or More 1.9%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 93.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.0, Hayden High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Blount County, which includes Hayden High School.
$10,779
Per student
-14%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.4%
State 63.4%
Federal 17.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Hayden High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Appalachian School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blountsville Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Susan Moore Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Locust Fork Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hayden High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 822
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 699
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 582
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Hayden
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~798 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hayden High School's federal record.
- Compare Hayden High School against another school. Compare schools
- Blount County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Hayden High School
How many students attend Hayden High School?
Hayden High School has 798 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hayden, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hayden High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hayden High School is 19:1, which is 7% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hayden High School?
36.1% of students at Hayden High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hayden High School?
The largest demographic group at Hayden High School is White at 93.2% of enrollment, in Hayden, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hayden High School?
Hayden High School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hayden High School rank among public schools in Hayden?
By Resource Investment Index, Hayden High School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Hayden, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hayden on the city page.
Is Hayden High School a good school?
Hayden High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Blount County?
Besides Hayden High School, Blount County also operates Southeastern School (822 students), Appalachian School (699 students), and Blountsville Elementary School (648 students). See the Blount County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.