Total enrollment
10,609
-505 (-5%) vs SY 2017-18
Payne County
Oklahoma · Public K-12
From the largest high school to the smallest elementary campus, Payne County's 26 public schools collectively enroll about 10,609 K-12 students, with Stillwater the heaviest district by enrollment. The level mix is 15 elementary, 4 middle, and 7 high schools.
7-year change in Payne County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
26
0 (0%) vs SY 2017-18
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
26
7 districts
Enrollment
10,609
NCES CCD
Median income
$49,809
Below Oklahoma avg
Free/reduced lunch
52.1%
Below Oklahoma avg
Elementary
15
5,191 students
Middle
4
1,821 students
High
7
3,597 students
Combined / other
0
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
STILLWATER
6,049 students · 7 districts in Payne County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Payne County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
39.7%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
12.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.7%
civilian labor
Median age
28
18.4% under 18
Test scores in Payne County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 15 schools ranked. Oklahoma state average: 30.6%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- WESTWOOD ES· 61.2%
- SANGRE RIDGE ES· 57.8%
- RICHMOND ES· 56.3%
- OAK GROVE PUBLIC SCHOOL· 42.0%
- PERKINS-TRYON INTERMEDIATE ES· 40.3%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- CUSHING UPPER ES· 20.0%
- PERKINS-TRYON MS· 21.0%
- CUSHING MS· 23.4%
- WILL ROGERS ES· 29.0%
- HIGHLAND PARK ES· 31.2%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STILLWATER HS | Stillwater | High | 10-12 | 1,341 | · |
| STILLWATER MS | Stillwater | Middle | 06-07 | 932 | · |
| STILLWATER JHS | Stillwater | High | 08-09 | 910 | · |
| WESTWOOD ES | Stillwater | Elementary | PK-05 | 626 | · |
| CUSHING HS | Cushing | High | 09-12 | 521 | · |
| WILL ROGERS ES | Stillwater | Elementary | PK-05 | 511 | · |
| HIGHLAND PARK ES | Stillwater | Elementary | PK-05 | 505 | · |
| SANGRE RIDGE ES | Stillwater | Elementary | PK-05 | 497 | · |
| CUSHING MS | Cushing | Middle | 05-08 | 488 | · |
| PERKINS-TRYON HS | Perkins | High | 09-12 | 454 | · |
| PERKINS-TRYON ES | Perkins | Elementary | PK-02 | 441 | · |
| PERKINS-TRYON INTERMEDIATE ES | Perkins | Elementary | 03-05 | 366 | · |
| SKYLINE ES | Stillwater | Elementary | PK-05 | 365 | · |
| RICHMOND ES | Stillwater | Elementary | PK-05 | 362 | · |
| CUSHING UPPER ES | Cushing | Elementary | 02-04 | 360 | · |
| PERKINS-TRYON MS | Perkins | Middle | 06-08 | 330 | · |
| RIPLEY ES | Ripley | Elementary | PK-08 | 317 | · |
| CUSHING LOWER ES | Cushing | Elementary | KG-01 | 223 | · |
| GLENCOE ES | Glencoe | Elementary | PK-08 | 208 | · |
| YALE ES | Yale | Elementary | PK-05 | 167 | · |
| OAK GROVE PUBLIC SCHOOL | Cushing | Elementary | PK-08 | 154 | · |
| RIPLEY HS | Ripley | High | 09-12 | 143 | · |
| YALE HS | Yale | High | 09-12 | 127 | · |
| GLENCOE HS | Glencoe | High | 09-12 | 101 | · |
| CUSHING PRE-KINDERGARTEN SCHL | Cushing | Elementary | PK-PK | 89 | · |
| YALE MS | Yale | Middle | 06-08 | 71 | · |
Cities in Payne County
About Payne County
Payne County is a moderately sized county of about 82,972 residents in Oklahoma. Its public-school system educates approximately 10,609 students across 26 schools.
Looking at the broader picture, census numbers show the median household earns about $49,809 a year, 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate is around 12%. That income level is 16% lower than the Oklahoma median.
On the level-by-level breakdown, Payne County covers 15 elementary schools (5,191 students), 4 middle schools (1,821), and 7 high schools (3,597).
The largest single district in Payne County is STILLWATER, which alone enrolls about 6,049 students.
Looking at the last 7 years. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment fell 5%: 11,114 students in SY 2017-18 versus 10,609 in SY 2024-25.
On this page, the community for Payne County discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.
Frequently asked questions
Payne County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data