Is Payson Junior High a good school?

Payson Junior High ranks in the bottom 10.0% of Utah middle schools.

How many students attend Payson Junior High?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,111 students attended Payson Junior High.

What is the racial makeup of Payson Junior High?

Students at Payson Junior High are 76% White, 21% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Payson Junior High attend?

Students who attend Payson Junior High usually go on to attend Payson High

Payson Junior High

Summary:

Payson Junior High is a public middle school serving grades 7-9 in the Nebo School District in Payson, Utah, with a student population of 1,135. The school has consistently underperformed compared to the district and state averages in standardized test scores across all subjects and grade levels, with only 25.8% of 8th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 37.2% in the Nebo District and 42.6% statewide.

Payson Junior High has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 24.85% to 30.66% over the past three school years, which is higher than the nearby Mapleton Junior High (13.69%) and Springville Junior High (28%), but lower than some other nearby schools like Mt. Nebo Middle (33.78%) and Diamond Fork Middle (45.94%). The school's student-teacher ratio of 23.7 in 2022-2023 is slightly lower than the nearby Mapleton Junior High (25.1) and Springville Junior High (23.6), but higher than some other nearby schools.

Payson Junior High's academic performance has been declining over the past several years, with the school's statewide ranking dropping from 108 out of 172 Utah middle schools in 2017-2018 to 189 out of 210 in 2023-2024. This trend is concerning and suggests the need for a closer examination of the school's instructional practices, curriculum, and support systems. The school's performance gaps for its student subgroups indicate the need for targeted interventions and support to address these inequities.

Detail:

Public 7-9

1025 S Highway 198
Payson, UT 84651

(801) 465-6015

District: Nebo District

SchoolDigger Rank:
189^th of 210 Utah Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,680

Students who attend Payson Junior High usually attend:

High:

Payson High

Feeder schools for Payson Junior High:

Elementary:	Apple Valley School
	Goshen School
	Orchard Hills School
	Park View School
	More...
	Santaquin School
	Spring Lake School
	Wilson School

Student/teacher ratio: 22.1

Number of students: 1,111

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.9%

Hispanic:

20.5%

Two or more races:

2.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.6%

See top rated Utah middle schools

Compare Payson Junior High to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Payson Junior High ranks worse than 90% of middle schools in Utah. It also ranks last among 5 ranked middle schools in the Nebo District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.66. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (75.9%), Hispanic (20.5%), two or more races (2.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Payson Junior High is 22.1, which is the 2^nd best among 5 middle schools in the Nebo District. (See more...)

Compare Payson Junior High employs 50 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Payson Junior High is $7,680, which is the 2^nd highest among 5 middle schools in the Nebo District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Payson Junior High:

SchoolDigger ranks Payson Junior High 189^th of 210 Utah public middle schools. (See Payson Junior High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Nebo District:

SchoolDigger ranks Nebo District 55^th of 98 Utah school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Payson Junior High?

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Rank History for Payson Junior High

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Rank History for all students at Payson Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	UT State Percentile
2008	50.33	119^th	200	40.5%
2009	55.03	103^rd	205	49.8%
2010	49.96	123^rd	201	38.8%
2011	43.40	163^rd	222	26.6%
2012	55.79	141^st	238	40.8%
2013	52.26	153^rd	243	37.0%
2014	45.82	113^th	185	38.9%
2015	45.63	117^th	210	44.3%
2016	46.23	123^rd	209	41.1%
2017	36.41	147^th	206	28.6%
2018	41.20	108^th	172	37.2%
2019	25.94	172^nd	222	22.5%
2021	14.64	188^th	213	11.7%
2022	16.78	172^nd	209	17.7%
2023	22.23	167^th	216	22.7%
2024	11.66	189^th	210	10.0%

See the entire list of Utah Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Payson Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	UT State Percentile
2022	27.71	102^nd	133	23.3%
2023	41.95	82^nd	138	40.6%
2024	20.74	122^nd	141	13.5%

See the entire list of Best Utah Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Payson Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	UT State Percentile
2022	25.89	83^rd	100	17.0%
2023	25.73	80^th	99	19.2%
2024	6.86	105^th	106	0.9%

See the entire list of Best Utah Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Payson Junior High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	UT State Percentile
2022	10.70	175^th	191	8.4%
2023	16.53	165^th	191	13.6%
2024	8.28	174^th	183	4.9%

See the entire list of Best Utah Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Utah State Board of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Utah State Board of Education

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Enrollment information for Payson Junior High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	719	0	1	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	741
1989	772	0	0	24	1	n/a	n/a	0	797
1990	805	0	2	20	2	n/a	n/a	0	829
1991	840	0	2	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	871
1992	818	0	1	43	3	n/a	n/a	0	865
1993	829	0	2	43	3	n/a	n/a	0	877
1994	935	1	4	46	2	n/a	n/a	0	988
1995	883	0	4	52	1	n/a	n/a	0	940
1996	883	0	4	52	1	n/a	n/a	0	940
1997	869	1	2	40	1	n/a	n/a	0	913
1998	861	1	0	34	1	n/a	n/a	0	897
1999	854	0	0	44	1	n/a	n/a	0	899
2000	888	0	2	67	1	n/a	n/a	0	958
2001	884	1	7	71	4	n/a	n/a	0	967
2002	971	1	4	63	12	n/a	n/a	0	1051
2003	971	1	4	63	12	n/a	n/a	0	1051
2004	969	1	5	82	16	n/a	n/a	0	1073
2005	1029	4	5	101	16	n/a	n/a	0	1155
2006	992	3	5	123	11	n/a	n/a	0	1134
2007	929	3	12	136	11	n/a	n/a	0	1091
2008	785	5	4	129	10	n/a	n/a	0	933
2009	816	5	6	112	13	n/a	n/a	0	952
2010	877	4	8	111	12	n/a	n/a	10	1022
2011	905	5	2	129	9	2	10	0	1062
2012	953	6	1	130	9	4	11	0	1114
2013	865	7	0	118	6	6	13	0	1015
2014	886	9	1	127	2	4	8	0	1037
2015	865	10	1	129	2	3	10	0	1020
2016	890	8	1	132	2	3	15	0	1051
2017	901	7	1	135	1	1	10	0	1056
2018	951	5	4	141	2	1	10	0	1114
2019	978	6	2	141	0	1	17	0	1145
2020	1043	7	2	142	2	4	24	0	1224
2021	891	7	1	177	4	2	24	0	1106
2022	927	7	1	224	3	1	24	0	1187
2023	879	8	1	221	0	5	21	0	1135
2024	843	6	2	228	1	2	29	0	1111

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Payson Junior High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	741	32.0	23.1	n/a
1989	797	34.3	23.2	n/a
1990	829	34.0	24.3	19.4
1991	871	32.0	27.2	19.1
1992	865	33.0	26.2	20.7
1993	877	33.3	26.3	26.1
1994	988	34.7	28.5	23.3
1995	940	39.4	23.9	21.1
1996	940	39.4	23.9	21.1
1997	913	36.8	24.8	21.6
1998	897	37.2	24.1	17.9
1999	899	41.7	21.6	28.4
2000	958	38.5	24.9	27.9
2001	967	35.8	27.0	27.1
2002	1051	40.1	26.2	32.1
2003	1051	40.1	26.2	32.1
2004	1073	41.0	26.2	32.2
2005	1155	43.1	26.8	33.6
2006	1134	45.0	25.2	35.4
2007	1091	41.6	26.2	0.3
2008	933	36.8	25.4	n/a
2009	952	43.4	20.7	36.8
2010	1022	41.3	24.7	53.3
2011	1062	38.0	27.9	43.4
2012	1114	41.6	26.7	89.1
2013	1015	36.6	27.6	99.7
2014	1037	35.2	29.4	42.7
2015	1020	n/a	n/a	39.9
2016	1051	n/a	n/a	39.1
2017	1056	35.2	29.9	39
2018	1114	n/a	n/a	25
2019	1145	47.8	23.9	31.5
2020	1224	50.3	24.3	32.2
2021	1106	n/a	n/a	26.7
2022	1187	46.4	25.5	24.9
2023	1135	47.7	23.7	30.7
2024	1111	50.0	22.1	29.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Payson Junior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	741	32.0	23.1	n/a
1989	797	34.3	23.2	n/a
1990	829	34.0	24.3	19.4
1991	871	32.0	27.2	19.1
1992	865	33.0	26.2	20.7
1993	877	33.3	26.3	26.1
1994	988	34.7	28.5	23.3
1995	940	39.4	23.9	21.1
1996	940	39.4	23.9	21.1
1997	913	36.8	24.8	21.6
1998	897	37.2	24.1	17.9
1999	899	41.7	21.6	28.4
2000	958	38.5	24.9	27.9
2001	967	35.8	27.0	27.1
2002	1051	40.1	26.2	32.1
2003	1051	40.1	26.2	32.1
2004	1073	41.0	26.2	32.2
2005	1155	43.1	26.8	33.6
2006	1134	45.0	25.2	35.4
2007	1091	41.6	26.2	0.3
2008	933	36.8	25.4	n/a
2009	952	43.4	20.7	36.8
2010	1022	41.3	24.7	53.3
2011	1062	38.0	27.9	43.4
2012	1114	41.6	26.7	89.1
2013	1015	36.6	27.6	99.7
2014	1037	35.2	29.4	42.7
2015	1020	n/a	n/a	39.9
2016	1051	n/a	n/a	39.1
2017	1056	35.2	29.9	39
2018	1114	n/a	n/a	25
2019	1145	47.8	23.9	31.5
2020	1224	50.3	24.3	32.2
2021	1106	n/a	n/a	26.7
2022	1187	46.4	25.5	24.9
2023	1135	47.7	23.7	30.7
2024	1111	50.0	22.1	29.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Payson Junior High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$523 (6.8%)	$7,157 (93.2%)	$7,680

Data source: Utah Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Payson Junior High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 172^nd of 222 Middle schools	Ranks 167^th of 216 Middle schools	0.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade English Language Arts (Payson Junior High)	33.3	31.1	2.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Nebo District)	40.1	37.8	2.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	43.3	41.8	1.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Payson Junior High)	31.5	20.8	10.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Nebo District)	38.8	29	9.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	42.7	38.2	4.5%
8th Grade Science (Payson Junior High)	41.6	38.6	3%
8th Grade Science (Nebo District)	43.3	50.3	7%
8th Grade Science (Utah)	49.2	48.5	0.7%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Payson Junior High)	43.6	28.7	14.9%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Nebo District)	49	42.1	6.9%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Utah)	48.2	44	4.2%
9th Grade Mathematics (Payson Junior High)	33.1	21.2	11.9%
9th Grade Mathematics (Nebo District)	44.4	31.4	13%
9th Grade Mathematics (Utah)	43.6	32.8	10.8%
9th Grade Science (Payson Junior High)	36.7	32.3	4.4%
9th Grade Science (Nebo District)	38.1	39.8	1.7%
9th Grade Science (Utah)	36.2	38.1	1.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1145	1135	0.9%
African American	6	8	33.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	141	221	56.7%
Pacific Islander	1	5	400%
White	978	879	10.1%
Two or More Races	17	21	23.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	31.5%	30.7%	0.9%

Schools Near Payson Junior High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts (2024)	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics (2024)	Utah Aspire Plus Science (2024)	RISE English Language Arts (2024)			RISE Mathematics (2024)			RISE Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics 9th Grade	Utah Aspire Plus Science 9th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 6th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 7th Grade	RISE English Language Arts 8th Grade	RISE Mathematics 6th Grade	RISE Mathematics 7th Grade	RISE Mathematics 8th Grade	RISE Science 6th Grade	RISE Science 7th Grade	RISE Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Payson Junior High	Public	7-9	1025 S Highway 198	Payson	84651	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 465-6015	1,111	50	22.1	29.6%	843 (75.9%)	6 (0.5%)	228 (20.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	29 (2.6%)	11.7	189^th of 210 public middle schools	10.0%		22.2	167^th of 216 public middle schools	22.7%	22	28.1	25.5	37.0			25.8			17.1			33.2	$7,680	$523	$7,157
Mt. Nebo Middle	Public	6-7	851 W. 450 South	Payson	84651	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 465-6040	1,104	48	22.9	35.0%	854 (77.4%)	4 (0.4%)	203 (18.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (0.8%)	33 (3.0%)	23.1	167^th of 210 public middle schools	20.5%		21.2	171^st of 216 public middle schools	20.8%	4				31.6	27.7		18.0	38.4		44.3	36.3
Salem Junior High	Public	7-9	598 North Main	Salem	84653	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 423-6558	953	40	23.7	21.6%	780 (81.8%)	5 (0.5%)	127 (13.3%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (3.7%)	46.8	115^th of 210 public middle schools	45.2%		47.1	115^th of 216 public middle schools	46.8%		37.7	34.1	39.5			37.9			33.1			54.8	$7,291	$570	$6,721
Valley View Middle	Public	6-7	1044 E 340 S	Salem	84653	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 609-2795	936	40	23.4	24.3%	774 (82.7%)	4 (0.4%)	123 (13.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	29 (3.1%)	48.3	110^th of 210 public middle schools	47.6%		43.9	128^th of 216 public middle schools	40.7%	18				43.0	36.6		27.6	50.1		64.6	43.8
Spanish Fork Junior High	Public	7-9	600 S 820 E	Spanish Fork	84660	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 798-4075	1,057	49	21.4	24.7%	832 (78.7%)	9 (0.9%)	163 (15.4%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.4%)	12 (1.1%)	35 (3.3%)	48.6	108^th of 210 public middle schools	48.6%		40.5	137^th of 216 public middle schools	36.6%	29	41.4	34.5	50.3			46.4			28.8			51.0	$7,339	$509	$6,830
Diamond Fork Middle	Public	6-8	50 N 900 East	Spanish Fork	84660	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 798-4052	1,077	45	23.7	27.8%	850 (78.9%)	9 (0.8%)	172 (16.0%)	4 (0.4%)	4 (0.4%)	11 (1.0%)	27 (2.5%)	44.7	122^nd of 210 public middle schools	41.9%		52.2	98^th of 216 public middle schools	54.6%	24				43.5	39.4		32.5	45.1		51.6	44.1
Maple Grove Middle	Public	6-8	1578 W 400 South	Mapleton	84664	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 609-2395	1,208	50	24.1	15.2%	1,018 (84.3%)	8 (0.7%)	114 (9.4%)	7 (0.6%)	4 (0.3%)	9 (0.7%)	48 (4.0%)	54.3	92^nd of 210 public middle schools	56.2%		51	101^st of 216 public middle schools	53.2%	9				49.4	40.8		33.3	49.8		69.9	38.7
Spring Canyon Middle	Public	6-8	599 W 700 South	Springville	84663	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 609-2400	1,084	49	22.2	31.3%	758 (69.9%)	8 (0.7%)	240 (22.1%)	8 (0.7%)	7 (0.6%)	8 (0.7%)	55 (5.1%)	59.6	82^nd of 210 public middle schools	61.0%		63.3	73^rd of 216 public middle schools	66.2%	9				51.0	45.6		27.6	48.5		65.1	54.2
Mapleton Junior High	Public	7-9	362 E 1200 N	Mapleton	84664	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 489-2892	1,197	49	24.2	14.8%	1,011 (84.5%)	5 (0.4%)	128 (10.7%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.6%)	41 (3.4%)	49.4	104^th of 210 public middle schools	50.5%		44.8	123^rd of 216 public middle schools	43.1%	19	43.8	37.8	45.1			35.0			35.1			59.5	$7,265	$571	$6,694
Springville Junior High	Public	7-9	165 S 700 E	Springville	84663	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 489-2880	1,128	48	23.5	30.6%	805 (71.4%)	7 (0.6%)	246 (21.8%)	3 (0.3%)	4 (0.4%)	12 (1.1%)	51 (4.5%)	48.9	106^th of 210 public middle schools	49.5%		60.1	78^th of 216 public middle schools	63.9%	28	45.9	43.1	49.8			40.9			34.1			53.0	$7,952	$556	$7,397

Payson Junior High

Payson Junior High:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Nebo District:

What do you think?

Rank History for Payson Junior High

Rank History for all students at Payson Junior High

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Payson Junior High

Rank History for Hispanic students at Payson Junior High

Rank History for White students at Payson Junior High

Enrollment information for Payson Junior High

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Payson Junior High

Student/Teacher Ratio Payson Junior High

Per Pupil Expenditures for Payson Junior High

Impact of COVID-19 on Payson Junior High

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Payson Junior High