Hays’s public schools score below 90% of Montana districts on tests and graduation
In Hays, 12% of tested students are proficient in math, below the Montana average (35%). The grade covers the public school district serving Hays, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Montana, not nationally.
From Montana state tests taken in spring 2022, when 92% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Hays’s schools, in brief
Results trail the state
In spring 2022, 22% of tested students were proficient in reading and 12% in math, against 46% and 35% statewide; 92% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓
Spending, and where it came from
The district spent $24,327 per student in FY2024, against $13,570 across Montana. 58% of its revenue that year was federal (Montana 17%), in the last year of pandemic relief. Districts ↓
One elementary school, then one middle and one high school
From grade 7 the district’s path is Hays-Lodge Pole 7-8, then Hays-Lodge Pole High Sch. Enrollment is down 7% since 2020–21. See the path ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Hays’s grade
D: better than 10% of Montana school districts. Test scores are below the Montana average; there is no graduation rate to add.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Hays, with each school’s own grade.
Kindergarten in Hays
Lodge Pole School
Grades PK–6 · 144 students · 14:1 students per teacher
Hays’s public schools are run by Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schools. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well below the state in reading
Hays vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Montana towns that share Hays’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Hays | D | Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schools |
Every school in Hays
3 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Montana’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Questions about Hays’s schools
Are Hays’s schools good?
On Montana’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Hays children attend score below 90% of Montana’s school districts on tests and graduation, a D Schools grade. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 13%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Hays in?
Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schools, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 255 students in 3 schools (2024–25).
Where do Hays kids go to high school?
Hays-Lodge Pole High Sch, with 84 students; its own test results earn a C−.
How much does Hays spend per student?
$24,327 in Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schools (FY2024), against $13,570 across Montana. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Parents talk
What Hays families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Hays → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Montana. Stars are from neighbors.