Best Public Schools in Hayward, CA

The city of Hayward, California is home to 41 schools, including 24 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, 10 high schools, and 2 alternative schools. These schools span across the Hayward Unified School District, as well as a few charter and alternative school districts.

While the overall Hayward Unified School District ranks 1,235 out of 1,568 school districts in California, several standout schools demonstrate that high performance is possible in the area. Impact Academy of Arts & Technology, a public charter high school, ranks in the top 800 high schools in the state with a 97% four-year graduation rate. Similarly, Hayward Collegiate Charter, a public charter elementary school, ranks in the top 1,000 elementary schools and has very high proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

However, the data also reveals significant performance gaps between the highest and lowest performing schools in the district. Many schools struggle with low graduation rates, high dropout rates, and poor proficiency on state assessments. Addressing these equity challenges, as well as the district's high chronic absenteeism rates, should be a top priority for school and district leaders.