Walter Hays Elementary School

Walter Hays Elementary sits at one of Palo Alto's busiest corners, Middlefield Road and Embarcadero Road, with Rinconada Park and the Junior Museum and Zoo next door. It is a neighborhood school for part of north Palo Alto and one of the district's transitional kindergarten sites. The California Department of Education counted 310 students in 2025 to 2026, which makes it one of the smaller of PAUSD's 12 elementary schools.

This page adds detail to our overview of PAUSD elementary schools. It covers the history the school publishes, its campus, values and traditions, the 2026 to 2027 bell schedule, the traffic rules families need to know and after-school care. We do not rank schools or report test scores. The California School Dashboard has official results.

Who Walter Hays was

The school's history page says Walter Hays was a Presbyterian minister who lived in Palo Alto for only 15 years, from 1905 to 1920, but was widely respected. He was president of the Board of Education when the area was debating where to build a union high school. The school credits his skill as a negotiator with bringing Palo Alto, Stanford and the separate town of Mayfield to agreement on a site when delay seemed likely. Palo Alto High School opened on that site in December 1918 (some sources say 1919). The South Palo Alto Grammar School was also built during his presidency.

A bronze plaque on the brick wall near the office honors Hays for "distinguished service to the schools of the community." The school says it was designed by John and Pedro de Lemos.

The campus, from 1923 to today

According to the school, the first building was a mission-style structure designed by architect Charles K. Sumner. It opened in 1923 and cost $66,000. It had six classrooms and a tower over the entrance. Residents complained that the site was too far out, on the edge of town.

The campus grew in layers:

• 1947. A six-room classroom wing designed by Palo Alto architects Birge Clark and Walter Stromquist. Our Birge Clark profile covers his wider work.
• Late 1950s or early 1960s. A multipurpose room. The school dates it to 1962. PAUSD's 2018 facilities plan says 1957.
• 1969 to 1970. The original 1923 building came down. The facilities plan says it was demolished in 1969 as part of an earthquake safety rebuilding program. A large triangular building replaced it in 1970, holding the office, the library and 11 classrooms. The library was dedicated to a member of the first faculty who served as principal from 1926 to 1942.
• 1996 to 2001. Portables arrived in 1996 to 1997 for growth and class size reduction. A wing of four classrooms near the Middlefield and Embarcadero corner was finished in 2000. Older rooms, the library and offices were renovated in 2001.

The 2018 plan counted six permanent single-story buildings and eight relocatables, six used as classrooms and two for day care. It noted that the 1970 building was laid out for team teaching, with small trapezoid-shaped rooms whose walls let sound pass between classes. It also called pickup and drop-off congested. The plan proposed new kindergarten rooms, a new multipurpose building and other changes for a future bond. Check PAUSD's facilities pages for current plans.

The school's history page describes 480 to 500 students from more than 300 families in Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. That figure appears to be older. The state's 2025 to 2026 count was 310.

Values and school life

Walter Hays states its vision as building emotionally, socially and academically resilient students. It hopes students will develop self-respect, value learning and understand others. A pledge it calls the Walter Hays Way lists nine core values: respect, perseverance, cooperation, empathy, inclusion, integrity, responsibility, initiative and resilience.

The school also teaches a five-step method for settling disputes on the playground:

1. Cool off.
2. Talk about how you felt.
3. Listen to how the other child felt.
4. Brainstorm ways to solve the problem.
5. Agree on the idea you both like best.

Playground rules are spelled out in the school's student commitments. Tackle games are banned, toys and trading cards stay home, kindergartners get their own play yard and nobody saves places in handball or kickball. Rinconada Park, right next door, is out of bounds during the school day.

Oceans Night and the Hat Parade

The school's best-known tradition takes over the weeks before spring break. Each grade studies one part of the ocean:

On Oceans Night, usually the Thursday before spring break from 6 to 7 p.m., every classroom opens to families and the library hosts a hands-on exhibit from the Junior Museum. The next morning, the last day of Oceans Week, classes march grade by grade in a Hat Parade wearing hats that represent their sea creatures. Third graders' subject is close to home. Our Baylands Nature Preserve guide covers the marsh they study.

Bell schedule for 2026 to 2027

Walter Hays starts at 8:25 a.m., ten minutes later than nearby Addison. The schedule runs from August 13, 2026 to June 3, 2027:

Morning recess for grades 1 to 5 runs 10:05 to 10:25 a.m. and lunch recess 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Playground supervision starts at 8:10 a.m., so do not leave children before then. Students should go home at dismissal, since the school does not allow unsupervised play on the grounds after school.

On early release days dismissal is 12:25 p.m. The dates are September 4, October 30, November 20 and December 18, 2026, then April 2 and June 1 to 3, 2027. Check the Walter Hays daily schedule for changes.

Traffic, parking and walking routes

The district's facilities plan calls the corner of Middlefield and Embarcadero one of the busiest intersections in Palo Alto. Many students cross one or both streets. Adult crossing guards start at 8:15 a.m. at Middlefield and Embarcadero and at Newell and Embarcadero. The school links the city's Walk and Roll map from its safety page. Our Safe Routes to School guide explains the program.

Parking lot rules

The school says its lot was not designed for current enrollment and can handle only about eight cars loading at a time. Its rules:

• The red curb is for loading and unloading only from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m., from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. except Wednesdays and from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. on Wednesdays. Parking there is a ticketable offense.
• Do not double up in the Keep Clear lane. If the curb is full, loop around.
• Children get out on the right side of the car only.
• No left turn when leaving the lot from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. or 2:30 to 3:15 p.m.
• To walk your child in, park on Middlefield Road or on Hopkins Avenue along Rinconada Park.

Rainy days are the worst. The school asks for patience and suggests arranging another meeting place.

Biking

Students in third grade and up may ride to school on their own. All third graders get basic bike safety training in the fall. Bikes are walked on school grounds and in crosswalks and must be locked to the racks. Riders under 18 must wear helmets under state law. Dogs are not allowed on campus before, during or after school.

Attendance area and next schools

Walter Hays serves a slice of north Palo Alto. Palo Alto Online and Palo Alto Weekly guides have listed it for parts of the Community Center neighborhood, Crescent Park, Old Palo Alto and Leland Manor, with Addison or Duveneck serving other addresses nearby. Use the School Finder on PAUSD's school placement page for any specific address.

The cluster continues to Greene Middle School and then Palo Alto High School, the school Walter Hays himself helped bring about. As a TK site, Walter Hays also enrolls transitional kindergartners placed by cluster, some of whom move to other schools for kindergarten.

After-school care and communication

Walter Hays Kids Club, run by Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC), provides care on campus. Space is limited and the program keeps a waitlist, so register early through PACCC. The school's page also lists Right at School and says it offers reduced pricing for families who qualify. Contact the provider to confirm where its program meets. Fee-based after-school classes are listed separately each term. Our after-school programs guide explains how PAUSD care works.

For news, the PTA publishes a monthly newsletter called the Wildcat. The school runs an email list called HaysAll plus grade-level lists. A marquee sign at the corner of Middlefield and Embarcadero posts upcoming events.

Frequently asked questions