Hays Virtual School

Hays Virtual School is an alternative public virtual school serving around 250 students in grades K-12 in Hays, Kansas. As part of the Hays school district, which is ranked 55 out of 264 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating, Hays Virtual School offers a flexible, online learning environment for students in the Hays area.

Hays Virtual School has seen strong academic performance, with 4-year graduation rates ranging from 88.1% to 93.5% in recent years, significantly higher than the state average of 61.5%. The school has also maintained relatively low dropout rates, ranging from 0.6% to 9.5%, lower than the state average of 9.5%. However, Hays Virtual School has experienced higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to the Hays district and state averages, likely due to the nature of virtual schooling. In 10th grade English Language Arts, Hays Virtual School students outperformed the Hays district and state averages, but in 10th grade Mathematics, they underperformed, suggesting a need to focus on improving mathematics instruction and support.

Interestingly, Hays Virtual School has seen a decline in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 5% in 2021-2022 to 1.96% in 2022-2023, significantly lower than the state average of 61.5%. This suggests the school may serve a more affluent student population, which could have implications for resource allocation and support for students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.