Enrollment
1,017
Kansas · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hays, KS
Hays High
Federal NCES profile for Hays High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 200702001322
👥 S:T ratio 1
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hays High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas.
- #6 of 7
- public schools in Hays · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.8:1
- large classes for Kansas
- 30.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Hays High has class sizes larger than 98% of Kansas schools. Computed live against every Kansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hays High ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Hays, KS.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.8:1
vs 13.8:1 Kansas avg
+80% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.6%
vs 42.7% Kansas avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hays High compares with Kansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hays High
Hays High is a large high school in Hays, Kansas, enrolling 1,017 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.8:1 is larger than about 98% of Kansas schools and 80% above the 13.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kansas, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,017 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,346 Kansas schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 47 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kansas schools statewide, it ranks #45, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 35/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 339 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Hays also operates Hays Middle School (726 students) and Roosevelt Elem (420 students) alongside Hays High.
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 Hays High compares
Hays High on the metrics families compare, against Kansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kansas | Kansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.8:1 | ▲ 80% | 13.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.6% | ▼ 28% | 42.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,017 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.8:1
Leaner classes than 5% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,017
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% below the Kansas average of 42.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.8:1
students per teacher
- 80% above state mean
Top 98% in Kansas - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
28.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,127
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kansas avg of $15,487
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 339 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 79.7%
Hispanic or Latino 12.7%
Two or More 4.8%
African American 2.1%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 79.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.6, Hays High is less mixed than the Kansas school average of 39.4.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hays, which includes Hays High.
$15,127
Per student
-2%
vs Kansas
Avg $15,487
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.3%
State 52.3%
Federal 15.4%
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 Hays High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kathryn O'loughlin Mccarthy Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodrow Wilson Elem | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elem | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hays High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 726
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 420
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 274
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,017 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hays High's federal record.
- Compare Hays High against another school. Compare schools
- Hays'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 Hays High
How many students attend Hays High?
Hays High has 1,017 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hays, KS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hays High?
The student-teacher ratio at Hays High is 24.8:1, which is 80% higher than the Kansas average of 13.8:1 and 58% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hays High?
30.6% of students at Hays High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kansas average of 42.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hays High?
The largest demographic group at Hays High is White at 79.7% of enrollment, in Hays, KS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hays High?
Hays High has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 Hays High rank among public schools in Hays?
By Resource Investment Index, Hays High ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Hays, KS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hays on the city page.
Is Hays High a good school?
Hays High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Kansas schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Kansas. 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 Hays?
Besides Hays High, Hays also operates Hays Middle School (726 students), Roosevelt Elem (420 students), and Kathryn O'loughlin Mccarthy Elem (371 students). See the Hays 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.