Hayes K8

Hayes K8 is a PK-8 school in Birmingham, AL, serving 693 students as part of the Birmingham City district, where the vast majority of families (over 83%) qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Hayes K8 faces significant challenges, with academic performance ranking in the bottom 2% of Alabama schools. Test scores are well below state averages in nearly every subject and grade. For example, only 18% of 3rd graders are proficient in math compared to 45% statewide, and the gap widens by 8th grade, where just 7% are proficient in math versus 26% statewide. A major factor appears to be chronic absenteeism: 30.4% of students miss enough school to be considered chronically absent—more than double the district average and 2.5 times the state rate. This is a persistent issue that has not improved since the pandemic. However, there are bright spots. Hispanic students have shown remarkable progress, jumping from the 13th to the 62nd percentile in just one year, and 8th grade science scores actually exceed the district average. These successes suggest that targeted interventions can work.

Comparing Hayes K8 to nearby schools reveals that improvement is possible. Phillips Academy, just two miles away in the same district, ranks in the 65th percentile with a chronic absenteeism rate of only 3.2% and dramatically higher test scores—72% of its 7th graders are proficient in math versus 11% at Hayes. Similarly, Norwood Elementary, serving a similarly high-poverty population, achieves 75% math proficiency in 3rd grade. Even Crestline Elementary in the nearby Mountain Brook City district, with far more resources, shows what's possible with strong attendance. The key takeaway for parents is that while Hayes K8 is struggling, the success of nearby schools with similar demographics proves that with the right focus on attendance and instruction, significant gains are achievable.