Enrollment
1,171
Arizona · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Queen Creek, AZ
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High
Federal NCES profile for Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 040187002478
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Arizona schools.
- #4 of 4
- middle schools in Queen Creek · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.3:1
- large classes for Arizona
- 8.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High has class sizes larger than 83% of Arizona schools. Computed live against every Arizona school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in Queen Creek, AZ.
School address
District: Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) · Arizona
NCES ID 040187002478 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 17:1 Arizona avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.0%
vs 48.3% Arizona avg
-83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High compares with Arizona and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Queen Creek, Arizona, enrolling 1,171 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 21.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Arizona schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.0% free-meal eligibility runs 83% below the Arizona average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arizona, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,171 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,064 scored Arizona schools.
Among 111 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Arizona schools statewide, it ranks #103, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 390 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) spends $9,696 per pupil, 26% below the Arizona average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) also operates Hamilton High School (3,444 students) and Chandler High School (3,179 students) alongside Willie & Coy Payne 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 Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High compares
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High on the metrics families compare, against Arizona and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arizona | Arizona avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.3:1 | ▲ 25% | 17:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.0% | ▼ 83% | 48.3% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,171 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,171
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 83% below the Arizona average of 48.3%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 83% in Arizona - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
37.8%
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
$9,696
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 67.5%
Hispanic or Latino 18.8%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 3.2%
Asian 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 67.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.3, Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High is more mixed than the Arizona school average of 47.2.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chandler Unified District #80 (4242), which includes Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High.
$9,696
Per student
-26%
vs Arizona
Avg $13,145
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.7%
State 44.2%
Federal 13.1%
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 Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chandler High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Basha High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dr. Camille Casteel High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Perry High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,444
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 3,179
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 2,826
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
- Enrollment
- 2,816
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 2,373
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~1,171 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High's federal record.
- Compare Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High against another school. Compare schools
- Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)'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 Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High
How many students attend Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High?
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High has 1,171 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Queen Creek, AZ.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High?
The student-teacher ratio at Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High is 21.3:1, which is 25% higher than the Arizona average of 17:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High?
8.0% of students at Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arizona average of 48.3%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High?
The largest demographic group at Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High is White at 67.5% of enrollment, in Queen Creek, AZ. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High?
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (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 Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High rank among middle schools in Queen Creek?
By Resource Investment Index, Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in Queen Creek, AZ. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Queen Creek on the city page.
Is Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High a good school?
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Arizona 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 Chandler Unified District #80 (4242)?
Besides Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High, Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) also operates Hamilton High School (3,444 students), Chandler High School (3,179 students), and Basha High School (2,826 students). See the Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) 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.