Seymour High School

Seymour High School, a very small secondary school in Payson, Illinois, part of Payson CUSD 1, instructs 216 students, covering grades 7 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 74% leaner than the state mean of about 834.

Across the 2 schools in Payson CUSD 1 (449 students total), Seymour High School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Demographically, Seymour High School lists that nearly all students (92%) are White. The remainder comes out to 6% multiracial. That composition is broadly in line with Adams County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school reports having 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.1:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.8:1, putting Seymour High School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 49% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

After controlling for student poverty, On a poverty-adjusted basis, Seymour High School sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 43.2%; actual is 26.5%, a gap of -16.7 points.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Adams County put median household earnings sit near $66,220, 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 9%. In all, Adams County runs 23 public schools (combined enrollment of about 8,717 students), of which Seymour High School is one.

Seymour Elementary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.2 miles from this campus. Within ten miles, there are 8 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. On composite proficiency, Seymour High School comes 9th of 9 in the immediate cluster, beneath the nearby-schools average of 45.5%.

Seymour High School operates from a small-town location.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Seymour High School has shrank 12%, going from 246 students in 2018 to 216 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 97% to 92% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 12.9:1 in 2018 to 11.1:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.