Pinon High School

Pinon High School is a public high school serving around 370 students in grades 9-12 in the rural community of Pinon, Arizona. With a predominantly Native American student body making up 98% of the population, the school faces unique challenges in supporting its students' academic and social-emotional needs.

Academically, Pinon High School struggles significantly, with only 12% of 11th-grade students proficient in English Language Arts, 10% in Mathematics, and 8% in Science - far below the state averages of 40%, 32%, and 22% respectively. The school's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 58% to 75.3% in recent years, and its dropout rate has fluctuated between 1.9% and 13.8%. Additionally, Pinon High School serves a high-poverty student population, with 84% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Despite the school's higher-than-average per-student spending, Pinon High School's statewide ranking has declined over the past decade, from 309 out of 395 Arizona high schools in 2008-2009 to 376 out of 469 in 2022-2023. The school's struggles are particularly pronounced for its Native American students, who rank 106 out of 128 Arizona high schools. With a significant increase in student-to-teacher ratio in recent years, from 11.9 to 16.8, Pinon High School faces an uphill battle in providing the individualized attention and support its students need to succeed.