SE Arizona News

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.

School name	City	Total School Enrollment
Payson High School	Payson	790
Copper Rim Elementary School	Globe	763
Rice Elementary School	San Carlos	641
Julia Randall Elementary School	Payson	574
Globe High School	Globe	498
Miami Junior Senior High School	Miami	495
Rim Country Middle School	Payson	493
High Desert Middle School	Globe	405
San Carlos Middle School	San Carlos	393
Destiny School	Globe	338
Dr. Charles A. Bejarano Elementary School	Miami	238
Leonor Hambly K-8	Winkelman	221
Lee Kornegay Intermediate School	Miami	200
Pine Strawberry Elementary School	Pine	96
Hayden High School	Winkelman	91
Tonto Basin Elementary	Tonto Basin	84
Liberty High School	Globe	64
San Carlos Alternative High School	San Carlos	47
Young Elementary School	Young	37
Biyaagozhoo Center	San Carlos	15