Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School

7655 S Higley Rd
Queen Creek, AZ 85142
(School attendance zone shown in map)
7/
10
Top 50%
Serving 1,143 students in grades 7-8, Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School ranks in the top 50% of all schools in Arizona for overall test scores (math proficiency is top 50%, and reading proficiency is top 50%).
The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 42% (which is higher than the Arizona state average of 35%). The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 50% (which is higher than the Arizona state average of 40%).
The student:teacher ratio of 20:1 is higher than the Arizona state level of 17:1.
Minority enrollment is 33% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is lower than the Arizona state average of 65% (majority Hispanic).

Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • School Type: Magnet School
  • Grades: 7-8
  • Enrollment: 1,143 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 20:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 33%
  • : Top 50% in AZ
  • : 42% (Top 50%)
  • : 50% (Top 30%)
  • : 44% (Top 20%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AZ Dept. of Education

Top Rankings

Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Arizona for:

Category
Attribute

School Overview

Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School's student population of 1,143 students has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
The teacher population of 56 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
School Type
Grades Offered
Grades 7-8
Total Students
1,143 students
This chart displays total students of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Gender %
This chart displays gender of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School
Total Classroom Teachers
56 teachers
This chart displays the total teachers of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Students by Grade
This chart displays the students of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School by grade.

School Rankings

Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School ranks within the top 50% of all 1,956 schools in Arizona (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data).
The diversity score of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School is 0.51, which is less than the diversity score at state average of 0.66. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School
State Level (AZ)
#599 out of 1956 schools
(Top 50%)
This chart displays the overall school rank of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
42%
35%
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of public schools in Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
50%
40%
This chart displays the percentage of students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Arizona by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
44%
24%
Student : Teacher Ratio
20:1
17:1
This chart displays the student teacher ratio of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the public school average student teacher ratio of Arizona by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
American Indian
1%
5%
This chart displays the percentage of American Indian students in Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and percentage of American Indian public school students in Arizona by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Asian
4%
3%
This chart displays the percentage of Asian students in Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the percentage of Asian public school students in Arizona by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Hispanic
19%
47%
This chart displays the percentage of Hispanic students in Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the percentage of Hispanic public school students in Arizona by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Black
4%
6%
This chart displays the percentage of Black students in Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the percentage of Black public school students in Arizona by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
White
67%
35%
This chart displays the percentage of White students in Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the percentage of White public school students in Arizona by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
Two or more races
5%
4%
This chart displays the percentage of students of two or more races in Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the percentage of public school students of two or more races in Arizona by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
All Ethnic Groups
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School.
This chart displays the percentage breakdown of public school students of all ethnic groups in Arizona.
0.51
This chart displays the diversity score of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the public school average diversity score of Arizona by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Eligible for Free Lunch
8%
39%
This chart displays the percentage of students who is eligible for free lunch in Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for free lunch in Arizona by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Eligible for Reduced Lunch
3%
7%
This chart displays the percentage of students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School and the percentage of public school students who is eligible for reduced lunch in Arizona by year, with the latest 2022-23 school year data.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AZ Dept. of Education

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School's ranking?
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School is ranked #599 out of 1,956 schools, which ranks it among the top 50% of public schools in Arizona.
What schools are Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School often compared to?
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High Schoolis often viewed alongside schools like Sossaman Middle School, Santan Junior High School, Dr. Camille Casteel High School by visitors of our site.
What percent of students have achieved state testing proficiency in math and reading?
42% of students have achieved math proficiency (compared to the 35% AZ state average), while 50% of students have achieved reading proficiency (compared to the 40% AZ state average).
How many students attend Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School?
1,143 students attend Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School.
What is the racial composition of the student body?
67% of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School students are White, 19% of students are Hispanic, 5% of students are Two or more races, 4% of students are Asian, 4% of students are Black, and 1% of students are American Indian.
What is the student:teacher ratio of Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School?
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School has a student ration of 20:1, which is higher than the Arizona state average of 17:1.
What grades does Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School offer ?
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School offers enrollment in grades 7-8
What school district is Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School part of?
Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School is part of Chandler Unified District #80 (4242) School District.

School Calendar

View the Willie & Coy Payne Jr. High School yearly calendar below. Note key dates such as:

Event
Date
First Day of School for Students
July 16, 2025 (Wednesday)

School Reviews

5   9/9/2017
We have had a great experience with Payne Jr. High. Our son is thriving and I have nothing but positive things to say about this school.
- Posted by Parent - JD Doolin
2   11/16/2015
We have moved all over the country and this school is by far the worst school we have ever attended. I have never written a review on any of the other 6 states we've lived in and in fact have never had hardly any complaints at other schools. This was the most uncaring, uninvolved, lackluster, blah school we've attended. For eighth grade graduation, you had to be invited to participate and the invitation came through winning an award. So for the other half of students who did not get an award, you simply left on the last day of school with a good-bye (if that even happened). My student is a gifted, well liked, kind, friendly individual. She goes out of her way to help others and be involved, unlike most of the teachers, and front office staff at this school. Terrible.
- Posted by Parent - tjenk

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Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • School Type: Magnet School
  • Grades: 7-8
  • Enrollment: 1,143 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 20:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 33%
  • : Top 50%
  • : 42% (Top 50%)
  • : 50% (Top 30%)
  • : 44% (Top 20%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AZ Dept. of Education

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