Hayley doesn't use her surname because Grimlord tainted it.
It's no coincidence she has the same surname as the Corrupt Corporate Executive Big Bad of the VR Troopers series. She's his child and moved away from her hometown to escape the taint. Tommy was searching for members for Dino Thunder.
Think about it, he was a member of at least three other teams. And why a paleontologist with a doctorate would want to teach in a high school? Their command center is powered by solar power
As I stated on the main Power Rangers WMG page, there's no way that Tommy, even with a doctorate, would be able to pay what is seemingly a huge power bill. Plus it's canon to Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers season 1 that the Zords and presumably that command center's powered by solar power. It's not that big of a stretch to assume that Tommy got a hold of that information and gave it to Hayley, who, with or without help from other Blue Rangers (coughBillycough) and/or Rangers like Ninja Storm's Cam, manages to create inconspicuous solar panels that won't cause questions because there's no way that an absent-minded teacher with a doctorate has anything to hide in his home out in the middle of nowhere, right? Mesogog had something to do with the accident that Smitty died in.
Think about it: In the Day of the Dino episodes, Tommy states that Mesogog found someone new to do his dirty work. Later on in the season, Zeltrax informs Tommy that Mesogog found him and effectively saved his life. How would Mesogog have known about Smitty's lab accident? Smitty, according to Tommy, had left Mercer Industries by this point and was working for another company. Mesogog, because of whatever memories Anton had regarding Smitty and Tommy, would have known that Smitty's feelings regarding not getting the job that Tommy did at Mercer Industries would provide the newly-christened Zeltrax with an abundance of anger against the new mentor of the Power Rangers. That anger and resentment would give Zeltrax enough of a reason-at least at first-to side with Mesogog against the Power Rangers. Anton Mercer enrolled Trent at Reefside High because Elsa and Tommy both were employed there.
Anton Mercer's a rich guy, right? There's also no way that there's not some form of private school within the city limits or otherwise nearby. Private schools-depending on the reputation-can be seen as an area where rich kids not only go to learn, but also see and be seen among their peers, like we see in Power Rangers Time Force. However, Anton already has an "in" at Reefside High, with one of Mesogog's minions as the school principal and one of his old friends/former employees as one of Trent's teachers. He's basically trusting both of them to help Trent out. Given what happens to Trent in the season, it's reasonable to assume that Anton was making sure that his son would be taken care of just in case Mesogog took over. We're given indications as early as the intro scene to the show that Mesogog and Anton Mercer are the same person.
Okay...sort of a meta example, as the barrels and other stuff with the Mercer Industries logo was also probably supposed to suggest that the island belonged to Anton Mercer, one could see it as an early hint about Anton and Mesogog having a Jekyll & Hyde relationship with each other.
