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Payson Junior High

Public Grades 7-9

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.

1,143

Students ?

23.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,680

Per pupil spending ?

29.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1025 S Highway 198
Payson, UT 84651

(801) 465-6015

District: Nebo District

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

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.6%

Hispanic:

20.7%

Two or more races:

3.1%

See top rated Utah public schools

Compare Payson Junior High to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 39th percentile in 2014 → 10th in 2024

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Utah average (29% vs 45% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (37% vs 24% Utah)

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg41%

Utah avg45%

Not ranked this year

Payson Junior High did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

50^th of 93Nebo District among Utah districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2024	11.7	189 of 210	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.2	167 of 216	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.8	172 of 209	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.6	188 of 213	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.9	172 of 222	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.2	108 of 172	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.4	147 of 206	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	46.2	123 of 209	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	45.6	117 of 210	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	45.8	113 of 185	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	52.3	153 of 243	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	55.8	141 of 238	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	43.4	163 of 222	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	50.0	123 of 201	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	55.0	103 of 205	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	50.3	119 of 200	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2024	6.9	105 of 106	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	25.7	80 of 99	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.9	83 of 100	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2024	20.7	122 of 141	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.9	82 of 138	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	27.7	102 of 133	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Utah percentile	Rating
2024	8.3	174 of 183	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.5	165 of 191	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.7	175 of 191	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)13th percentile+3 vs school

White (2024)5th percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2024)1st percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs Utah (2024-2025) ?

Science37%-13 vs state

English Language Arts31%-14 vs state

Mathematics15%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near Payson Junior High

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Utah Aspire Plus English Language Arts (2025)	Utah Aspire Plus Mathematics (2025)	Utah Aspire Plus Science (2025)	RISE Mathematics (2025)			RISE Science (2025)			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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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 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	1,143	48	23.6	29.8%	864 (75.6%)	1 (0.1%)	237 (20.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	36 (3.1%)								(n/a)	30.8	27.7	34.3			15.3			36.9	$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	1,034	49	20.9	33.7%	805 (77.9%)	5 (0.5%)	177 (17.1%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	9 (0.9%)	35 (3.4%)	30.6	128^th of 182 public middle schools	29.7%		23.1	167^th of 210 public middle schools	20.5%	39				17.0	32.8		56.5	40.2
Salem Junior High	Public	7-9	598 North Main	Salem	84653	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 423-6558	950	42	22.8	22.6%	764 (80.4%)	8 (0.8%)	139 (14.6%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	33 (3.5%)								(n/a)	40.3	38.8	44.8			23.1			52.6	$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	963	42	23.1	24.0%	803 (83.4%)	3 (0.3%)	117 (12.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	5 (0.5%)	30 (3.1%)	61.9	70^th of 182 public middle schools	61.5%		48.3	110^th of 210 public middle schools	47.6%	40				28.6	55.5		68.0	49.9
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	1,070	51	21.1	23.7%	846 (79.1%)	10 (0.9%)	164 (15.3%)	4 (0.4%)	3 (0.3%)	12 (1.1%)	31 (2.9%)								(n/a)	48.3	38.0	47.7			28.5			46.7	$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	1,074	49	22.1	29.4%	844 (78.6%)	10 (0.9%)	176 (16.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.6%)	9 (0.8%)	29 (2.7%)	40.1	111^th of 182 public middle schools	39.0%		44.7	122^nd of 210 public middle schools	41.9%	11				27.3	45.8		50.2	42.1
Maple Grove Middle	Public	6-8	1578 W 400 South	Mapleton	84664	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 609-2395	1,195	51	23.5	13.1%	994 (83.2%)	8 (0.7%)	124 (10.4%)	5 (0.4%)	4 (0.3%)	4 (0.3%)	56 (4.7%)	70.9	50^th of 182 public middle schools	72.5%		54.3	92^nd of 210 public middle schools	56.2%	42				36.3	60.5		73.6	50.3
Spring Canyon Middle	Public	6-8	599 W 700 South	Springville	84663	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 609-2400	1,038	48	21.7	28.4%	720 (69.4%)	6 (0.6%)	242 (23.3%)	6 (0.6%)	6 (0.6%)	12 (1.2%)	46 (4.4%)	49.9	95^th of 182 public middle schools	47.8%		59.6	82^nd of 210 public middle schools	61.0%	13				27.1	45.8		59.3	48.4
Mapleton Junior High	Public	7-9	362 E 1200 N	Mapleton	84664	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 489-2892	1,312	53	24.8	14.4%	1,081 (82.4%)	6 (0.5%)	148 (11.3%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.3%)	8 (0.6%)	62 (4.7%)								(n/a)	48.0	35.5	40.3			32.0			55.9	$7,265	$571	$6,694
Springville Junior High	Public	7-9	189 S 1470 East	Springville	84663	Utah County	Nebo District	No	No	No	No	(801) 489-2880	1,086	48	22.7	28.5%	760 (70.0%)	6 (0.6%)	246 (22.7%)	4 (0.4%)	5 (0.5%)	15 (1.4%)	50 (4.6%)								(n/a)	53.3	42.4	57.2			38.7			53.7	$7,952	$556	$7,397

Frequently Asked Questions about 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

How many students attend Payson Junior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,143 students attended Payson Junior High.

What district is Payson Junior High in?

Nebo District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Utah State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.