School districts throughout the state once more lurched into the school year with the nation’s worst ratio of counsel… Read more
The Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) doesn’t need magic beans to make magic happen. Read more
Arizona schools
Despite recent funding increases, Arizona still has one of the weakest school systems in the country, according to ra… Read more
Stan Rentz walked up to the Rim Country Middle School student holding a sign that read: “Are you lost?” Read more
Few people eagerly await the start of school like Linda Scoville. Read more
School board meeting
The Payson School Board this week doubled the pay for people who work the gates and concession stands at football gam… Read more
Gila Community College is offering four free concerts in August as part of its “Music in the Garden” series. Read more
Dual enrollment
Get this: An energetic Payson High School student can graduate with not only a high school diploma — but a community … Read more
Rim Country students can pick up a free backpack between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Sunday, July 21 at the TCC Payson store, … Read more
Gila Community College is again offering the study in substance abuse class this fall, taught by Jane Fender. Read more
Salary study
The Payson School Board approved a $15,500 salary study at its last meeting, which will affect the wages, benefits an… Read more
The Gowers are gone now. Read more
High school roofs
Two buildings at Payson High School will get about $700,000 worth of new roofing, thanks to the first signs of a turn… Read more
The school bus driver crisis dominated newly hired Payson Unified School District Superintendent Stan Rentz’s first m… Read more
December Tudor crept to the very edge of the water-smoothed boulder above the narrow slot of the foaming East Verde R… Read more
An art instructor with a master’s degree in fine arts who fell in love with Payson will share her expertise and creat… Read more
The Unified Payson School District budget will rise by almost 7 percent to $16 million in fiscal 2019-20, with most o… Read more
The Heard Museum has wrapped up its second annual Teacher Institute program, which gives Arizona educators a better u… Read more
If you live within a mile of a Payson school campus, your child can’t take the bus to that campus in the fall, the Pa… Read more
Northern Gila County educators, their families and friends packed the meeting room at the county offices on East High… Read more
The Pine-Strawberry School teacher whose personalized license plate reads “Bonaro” has been named the Gila County Tea… Read more
WASHINGTON – Gov. Doug Ducey touted Arizona’s first-in-the-nation universal licensing recognition law at the White Ho… Read more
The Philanthropic Educational Organization’s STAR Scholarship for 2019 went to Perla Luna, a student at Payson High S… Read more
Override
With arts classes, maintaining class sizes and nearly 10 percent of its operating budget on the line, the Payson Scho… Read more
Teacher merit pay
If everyone gets “merit pay,” does it really mean you’re doing a good job? Read more
Donations
The Mogollon Sporting Association once again came through for Rim Country’s kids, with nearly $9,000 in donations to … Read more
The Payson Unified School District’s transportation department is in turmoil, with the crash of a bus whose driver wa… Read more
Teacher pay
Recent increases in teacher pay haven’t come close to lifting Arizona to the national average, according to a nationa… Read more
political agenda
The Payson School Board really, really hopes the Arizona Legislature will resume paying for all-day kindergarten classes. Read more
Several Julia Randall Elementary students snagged a free bike on the last day of school. Read more
Thirteen students received scholarships to attend Gila Community College (GCC) this fall. Read more
Eastern Arizona College Small Business Development Center presents webinar "Social Media for Small Business" from noo… Read more
Gila Community College announced the Payson honor students for the Spring 2019 semester. Read more
State Schools budget
The state’s new $11.8 billion budget nearly doubled the reserve fund, increased spending by 11 percent and cut taxes … Read more
A concerned Kathlene Thomson kept an eye on the weather forecast. Read more
Life isn’t about beating others, but setting and then besting your own personal records. Read more
Payson High School graduates donned their caps and gowns – not for graduation – but for high fives and good vibes. Read more
The Payson campus of Gila Community College celebrated the graduation of 16 students at their 2019 Commencement held … Read more
Gila County has received $1.16 million from the 2019 Secure Rural Schools Act (SRS) funds. Read more
Tears filled Corrine VandenBerg’s eyes as she gazed at a colorful new mural that adorns the front of Payson Elementar… Read more
Override election
A fretful Payson School Board this week asked for a resolution to be brought to them at the next board meeting to see… Read more
Payson School Board member Shane Keith this week resigned his seat after the district hired his wife as an English te… Read more
Jacquelyn Oesterblad, a 2011 graduate of Payson High School, plans to attend Yale Law School this fall. Read more
Payson High School senior Kajal Daya wasn’t sure what kind of career she wanted until she volunteered at Banner Payso… Read more
Playing songs from Mötley Crüe to the ethereal Mark Williams with some jazz thrown in, the bands from Rim Country Mid… Read more
Education tax
Sen. Sylvia Allen’s (R-Snowflake) plan to raise the state’s sales tax to generate more money for education continues … Read more
Playing songs from Mötley Crüe to the ethereal Mark Williams with some jazz thrown in, the bands from Rim Country Middle School and Payson Hig… Read more
featured
Education tax
Sen. Sylvia Allen’s (R-Snowflake) plan to raise the state’s sales tax to generate more money for education continues to move through the legis… Read more
Payson High School senior Olivia Hobson has been honored for her volunteer work with a Prudential Spirit of Community Award and President’s Vo… Read more
Payson High senior Cole Tenney is a finalist for a National Merit Scholarship. Read more
Stipends
The Payson School board at its last meeting approved a slew of stipends for teachers who supervise extracurricular activities and clubs, with … Read more
Donations
Payson loves its schools. And has a generous spirit. Read more
Payson Schools
The Payson School Board last week approved a roughly 5 percent employee pay raise, with money set aside for an extra, much-debated 5 percent “… Read more
Just a few days remain to nominate an educator for Gila County’s K-12 Teacher of the Year award. Read more
I’m clinging to Steve Stephens, like driftwood on the ocean. Read more
Consolidation
A bill that would have forced the merger of the Pine, Tonto Basin and Young school districts into Payson Unified School District has apparentl… Read more
Jim Strogen patiently attached the hand-tied imitation caddisfly nymph to my nearly invisible fly line, while my gaze wandered to the spillove… Read more
School board wrestles with raises and capital needs
Big classes. Read more
School budget
The Payson School Board made nearly $1 million worth of employee raises and benefits its top priority in the course of two lengthy study sessi… Read more
featured
The Mazatzal Optimist Club has selected a Rim Country Middle School eighth-grader the winner of their essay contest. Read more
Audience members were transported back more than half a century last week in the delightfully colorful production of “You’re a Good Man, Charl… Read more
Zoia Brouwer, a Payson High School 2016 graduate, showed five of her drawings and paintings in the 3rd Annual Elemental Cultural Arts Festival… Read more
Payson Unified School District just received recognition as a Capturing Kids’ Hearts National Showcase School from the Flippen Group. Read more
Tests
The federal government has rejected an Arizona plan to stop requiring all districts to use the AzMerit test to track student gains. Read more
Payson will get a bright, shiny, new school bus, thanks to Volkswagen’s dirty air tests on diesel engines. Read more
The Payson High School Longhorn Theatre Company presents “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” at 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 12 and 7 p.m. Saturday,… Read more
featured
School mergers
A bill that could force the Pine, Tonto Basin and Young elementary school districts to merge with Payson has passed out of a key Senate committee. Read more
It was far out and groovy as the Kiwanis Club of Zane Grey Country sponsored a showing of the film “Woodstock” at Payson’s Sawmill Theatres on… Read more
School survey
Experience. Read more
featured
Gila Community College student Bailee Taylor has earned a spot on the 23rd Annual All-Arizona Academic Team. Read more
The Gila Community College Governing Board met on March 22 to discuss the proposed fiscal year 2020 budget, which is not much different from l… Read more
Superintendent
Personality. Read more
College classes
The share of Payson High School students taking college-level classes remains far below the state and national average. Read more
Between February 28-March 2, 30 Payson High School DECA students traveled to Phoenix for their state conference and competitions. Read more
A year or two of spending increase can’t compensate for a decade of neglect when it comes to school financing, according to a just-released Ar… Read more
The Thomas Walling Memorial Lip Sync Contest at Payson High School Auditorium on Saturday, March 2 featured 15 toe-tapping performances. Read more
Five children attended the annual Dr. Seuss Birthday Party at the Isabelle Hunt Memorial Library (IHML) in Pine on Saturday, March 2. Read more
Payson Elementary School will have a new principal at the start of the school year. Gail Milton is leaving the district after serving for four years. Read more
Payson Elementary School is holding its Scholastic Dino-Mite Book Fair this week. The event, one of two book fairs the school holds each year,… Read more
Due to overnight cold temperatures causing the potential for icy road conditions and ice on our campuses, Payson Unified School District will … Read more
Hundreds of Payson students recently tromped through a morning of presentations at Gila Community College designed to stoke their interest in … Read more
featured
Hazel Rensch, a first-grader at the Shelby School, was one of 12 students in Arizona to be awarded a ribbon in ASU’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther Ki… Read more
Education funding
The governor and key lawmakers finally appear ready to address the problems of one of the worst-funded public school systems in the country, s… Read more
Arizona may be facing a happy “perfect storm” when it comes to bolstering state support for one of the worst-funded public school systems in t… Read more
From finding love, graduating high school, becoming a volleyball champion and even traveling to Dubai, Payson Community Kids’ middle schoolers… Read more
State lawmakers took the first steps Tuesday to asking voters if they want to pay even more in sales taxes to support public education. Read more
The Payson Unified School District hedged its internet bet last week by joining a new coalition seeking federal help to bring high-speed broad… Read more
Once heralded as a safe alternative to cigarettes and other tobacco products, e-cigarettes failed to deliver on the promise. Instead, they are… Read more
featured
PHOENIX – Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday proposed a fiscal year 2020 budget that would double the rainy day fund to $1 billion, put aside $165 mill… Read more
school board
The Payson Unified School District needs to spend $6.5 million over the next five years to keep its buildings from falling apart, a consultant… Read more
