Gila County Schools: Payson High School welcomed most students in 2022-23 school year

Payson High School had the highest enrollment among Gila County schools, welcoming 790 students during the 2022-23 academic year, according to the Arizona Department of Education.

Out of the total students welcomed in the 2022-23 school year, 53.4% of them were boys, and 46.6% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 66.7% of the Payson High School total enrollment.

Among the 21 schools in Gila County, Copper Rim Elementary School ranked second in enrollment numbers with 763 students, while Rice Elementary School welcomed 641 students and ranked third in the 2022-23 school year.

Payson High School is part of Payson Unified District, which roughly covers schools within Gila County and has a main office in Payson.

In the previous school year, Payson High School also had the highest number of students among Gila County schools.

A 2023 study from Scholaroo.com ranked Arizona last out of all U.S. states in terms of educational success, giving the state poor markets for school quality, student success, and teacher-to-student ratio.

WalletHub claimed Arizona’s school system ranked among the worst across U.S. for class size, performance, funding, safety, and instructors’ credentials.