Public schools in Payson, AZ
Payson has 5 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 2 high, 1 middle, 2 elementary, enrolling 2,145 students. They are run by 2 districts and agencies; Payson Unified District (4209) runs 4 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 2 districts and agencies that run Payson's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Payson | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payson Unified District (4209) | 4 | 2,318 | $11,456 |
| Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technolog (78786) | 1 | 82 | $25,354 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
2 high schools in Payson, 734 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payson High School | 733 | 17.4 | 35.9% | Payson Unified District (4209) |
| NAVIT - Gila Community College | 1 | not reported | not reported | Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technolog (78786) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One middle school in Payson, 478 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rim Country Middle School | 478 | 16.4 | 47.9% | Payson Unified District (4209) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
2 elementary schools in Payson, 933 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julia Randall Elementary School | 503 | 16.0 | 49.0% | Payson Unified District (4209) |
| Payson Elementary School | 430 | 14.6 | 51.9% | Payson Unified District (4209) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Payson's public schools compare with Arizona's
The median Payson school has 16.2 students per full-time teacher, fewer than the Arizona median of 16.8. 40% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 53% across the state. Its median school enrolls 478 students (state 412).
| Payson | Arizona | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 16.2 | 16.8 |
| Median school size (students) | 478 | 412 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 40% | 53% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 80% | 44% |
| Charter schools | 0% | 26% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 5 Payson schools and the 2,183 Arizona schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Payson
- Payson Unified District (4209)Runs 4 of Payson's 5 public schools and spent $11,456 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,456
- Payson High School, the largest high school in Payson733 students in 2024-25, 17.4 per teacher.733
- Compare Payson Unified District (4209) with Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technolog (78786)Payson's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in ArizonaArizona's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Payson addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Arizona
Questions about schools in Payson
How many public schools are in Payson, AZ?
5 public schools with an address in Payson were open in 2024-25: 2 high, 1 middle, 2 elementary, enrolling 2,145 students.What is the largest high school in Payson?
Payson High School, with 733 students in 2024-25 (Payson Unified District (4209)).Which districts run Payson's schools?
Payson Unified District (4209) (4 schools), Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technolog (78786) (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25