Enrollment
1,143
Utah · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Payson, UT
Payson Jr High
Federal NCES profile for Payson Jr High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 490063000391
👥 S:T ratio 3
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Payson Jr High earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Utah schools.
- #1 of 7
- schools in Payson · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.3:1
- large classes for Utah
- 24.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Payson Jr High has class sizes larger than 77% of Utah schools. Computed live against every Utah school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Payson Jr High ranks #1 of 7 schools in Payson, UT.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 21.4:1 Utah avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.1%
vs 28.0% Utah avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Payson Jr High compares with Utah and U.S. medians
What stands out at Payson Jr High
Payson Jr High is a large combined-grade school in Payson, Utah, enrolling 1,143 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Utah schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 24.1% lands close to the Utah typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 1,143 puts it in the larger third of Utah schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,065 scored Utah schools.
Against 206 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #93.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 327 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Nebo District also operates Nebo Online School (7,791 students) and Maple Mountain High (1,902 students) alongside Payson Jr High.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Payson Jr High compares
Payson Jr High on the metrics families compare, against Utah and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Utah | Utah avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.3:1 | ▲ 14% | 21.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.1% | ▼ 14% | 28.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,143 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.3:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,143
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the Utah average of 28.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.3:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 77% in Utah - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
38.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$8,448
per pupil, district-wide
- below Utah avg of $9,792
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.5 FTE
Per 327 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
26
in-school suspensions + 75 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 75.6%
Hispanic or Latino 20.7%
Two or More 3.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
African American 0.1%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 75.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.5, Payson Jr High is less mixed than the Utah school average of 40.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nebo District, which includes Payson Jr High.
$8,448
Per student
-14%
vs Utah
Avg $9,792
-49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 55.9%
Federal 10.3%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Payson Jr High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebo Online School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Maple Mountain High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Springville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Payson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spanish Fork High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Payson Jr High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 7,791
- Students per teacher
- -
- Enrollment
- 1,902
- Students per teacher
- 29.3:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,665
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,640
- Students per teacher
- 26.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Utah, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,143 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Payson Jr High's federal record.
- Compare Payson Jr High against another school. Compare schools
- Nebo District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Payson Jr High
How many students attend Payson Jr High?
Payson Jr High has 1,143 students enrolled. It is a public school in Payson, UT.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Payson Jr High?
The student-teacher ratio at Payson Jr High is 24.3:1, which is 14% higher than the Utah average of 21.4:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Payson Jr High?
24.1% of students at Payson Jr High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Utah average of 28.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Payson Jr High?
The largest demographic group at Payson Jr High is White at 75.6% of enrollment, in Payson, UT.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Payson Jr High?
Payson Jr High has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Payson Jr High rank among schools in Payson?
By Resource Investment Index, Payson Jr High ranks #1 of 7 schools in Payson, UT. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Payson on the city page.
Is Payson Jr High a good school?
Payson Jr High earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of Utah schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Nebo District?
Besides Payson Jr High, Nebo District also operates Nebo Online School (7,791 students), Maple Mountain High (1,902 students), and Springville High (1,665 students). See the Nebo District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.