On behalf of the Board, students, faculty, staff, and administration of Payson Unified School District (PUSD), I would like to extend a warm welcome to our schools and website. We deeply appreciate your interest in learning about our community of learners, our Culture of Connection, and our contributions together here in Longhorn country. 

PUSD is a unique PreK – 12th grade District, home to over 2,200 diligent students and 325 devoted, compassionate faculty and staff members. Our accredited, comprehensive curriculum is designed to foster the growth of well-rounded learners, instilling in them a drive to excel. Nestled just south of the Mogollon Rim of Arizona, our District is blessed with a climate, location, and people that are truly unparalleled. Here, we cherish relationships and foster a culture of connection that is truly special.   

PUSD is a proud home to five schools: Lil’ Longhorn Preschool for ages 3-5, Payson Elementary grades K-2, Julia Randall Elementary grades 3-5, Rim Country Middle School grades 6-8, and Payson High School grades 9-12. Also within PUSD is the Payson Center for Success Academy for Distance Learning in grades 6-12.  Our District is recognized by the Arizona Department of Education as a “B” District. We thrive in maintaining a strong partnership with our local Gila Community College, working hand in hand to guide students toward their future academic, vocational, and career aspirations.  

 District Highlights:

• Award-winning high school – recent A+ recognition 
• Multi-tiered systems of support K-12
• National recognition by the Flippen Group for Capturing Kid’s Hearts
• National, state, and regional recognition for Career and Technical Education programs 9-12.
• Google Reference District 
• Rigorous & ample Dual Credit opportunities
• Thriving and successful Fine Arts and Music Programs
• 1:1 Chromebooks K-12
• Variety of vocational, career, STEAM, and tech clubs and student organizations K-12. 
• Competitive Athletic Programs
• Graduating class has been offered over 2.5 million dollars in scholarships since 2020 to assist in achieving their academic and vocational aspirations

At PUSD, our unwavering commitment is to nurture all our learners’ unique skills and abilities, empowering them to reach their full potential.  We firmly believe that every student can conquer challenging academic material with our guidance and support, and we hold high expectations for their success.  We are excited and ready to collaborate with parents, colleagues, students, and the community united in our shared educational mission.

We have a strong foundation of instructional expertise amongst our teaching faculty and provide high academic standards by always putting “kids first.”  Supported with strong community connections. 

We are constantly striving to enhance this website and the District as a whole to connect our schools with the community further and showcase our students, faculty, and staff’s outstanding efforts.  I hope you enjoy connecting with PUSD through your experience with our website and within our schools. Please don’t hesitate to contact us and let us know if we can further assist you.

With warmest regards,

Linda Gibson, Superintendent

Email