Hays-Lodge Pole High School

Hays-Lodge Pole High School is a small public high school in Hays, Montana, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of just 84. The school is part of the Hays-Lodge Pole K-12 Schools district, which is ranked 364 out of 387 districts in the state. Over the past decade, Hays-Lodge Pole High School has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Montana high schools, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, the school's performance is significantly below the state averages. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school had 0% proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science on the ACT, compared to the state averages of 54.99%, 31.25%, and 30.03%, respectively. Similarly, the school's proficiency rates on the Montana State Tests in recent years have been consistently lower than the state averages. Additionally, Hays-Lodge Pole High School has a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, with 100% of students receiving this assistance in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years.

Despite the school's high spending per student, which was $18,904 in the 2018-2019 school year, and a relatively high student-teacher ratio, the academic outcomes have not improved. This suggests that the school may need to take a more targeted approach to addressing the specific needs of its student population, which faces significant economic challenges. Collaboration with the district and community stakeholders could be crucial in developing and implementing a comprehensive improvement plan to ensure that the school can provide a high-quality education to its students and improve their academic and life outcomes.