Payson Unified District (4209) operates 4 public schools serving 2,318 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 2,144 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Gila County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,649 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 51.2% local, 33.2% state, and 15.7% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $51,074 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 49/100, ranked #132 of 439 in Arizona against a state average of 38 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 444.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 66.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 63.5% White, 27.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% African American across the district's schools.
Payson High School accounts for 34.2% of all Payson Unified District (4209) student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Payson Unified District (4209)-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Payson Unified District (4209) student-counselor ratio is 444:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Payson Unified District (4209) chronic absenteeism rate is 66.4% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in Payson Unified District (4209)?
Payson Unified District (4209) has 4 schools, including 1 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 2,318 students.
How much does Payson Unified District (4209) spend per student?
Payson Unified District (4209) spends $12,649 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #132 in Arizona.
What is the average teacher salary in Payson Unified District (4209)?
The average teacher salary in Payson Unified District (4209) is $51,074 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Payson Unified District (4209)?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Gila County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Payson Unified District (4209)?
Payson Unified District (4209) students are 63.5% White, 27.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Payson Unified District (4209)?
Payson Unified District (4209) has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #132 out of 439 districts in Arizona. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.