Enrollment
478
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Payson, AZ
Rim Country Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Rim Country Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040607000501
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rim Country Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Payson · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.7:1
- students per teacher
- 47.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Rim Country Middle School has class sizes near the Arizona median. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rim Country Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Payson, AZ.
School address
District: Payson Unified District (4209) · Arizona
NCES ID 040607000501 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.9%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rim Country Middle School compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rim Country Middle School
Rim Country Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Payson, Arizona, enrolling 478 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 47.9% lands close to the Arizona typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 478 students, its enrollment sits close to the Arizona median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Against 328 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #206.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 478 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 81.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Payson Unified District (4209) spends $10,239 per pupil, 22% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Payson Unified District (4209) also operates Payson High School (733 students) and Julia Randall Elementary School (503 students) alongside Rim Country Middle School.
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 Rim Country Middle School compares
Rim Country Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▲ 4% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.9% | ▼ 1% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 478 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
478
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 61% in Arizona - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
81.6%
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
$10,239
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arizona avg of $13,145
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 478 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 60.7%
Hispanic or Latino 29.9%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.6%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 60.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Rim Country Middle School is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Payson Unified District (4209), which includes Rim Country Middle School.
$10,239
Per student
-22%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.2%
State 33.2%
Federal 15.7%
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 Rim Country Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Julia Randall Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Payson Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rim Country Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 503
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 430
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arizona, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~478 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rim Country Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Rim Country Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Payson Unified District (4209)'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 Rim Country Middle School
How many students attend Rim Country Middle School?
Rim Country Middle School has 478 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Payson, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rim Country Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rim Country Middle School is 17.7:1, which is 4% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rim Country Middle School?
47.9% of students at Rim Country Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rim Country Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Rim Country Middle School is White at 60.7% of enrollment, in Payson, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rim Country Middle School?
Rim Country Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Rim Country Middle School rank among public schools in Payson?
By Resource Investment Index, Rim Country Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Payson, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Payson on the city page.
Is Rim Country Middle School a good school?
Rim Country Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arizona median. 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 Payson Unified District (4209)?
Besides Rim Country Middle School, Payson Unified District (4209) also operates Payson High School (733 students), Julia Randall Elementary School (503 students), and Payson Elementary School (430 students). See the Payson Unified District (4209) 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.