Preston School District

The Preston School District serves roughly 425 students in two schools—Preston Veterans' Memorial School (elementary, PK–5, 284 students) and Preston Plains School (middle, 6–8, 141 students)—and ranks 74th out of 153 Connecticut districts with a 3-star rating.

The clear standout is the elementary school. Preston Veterans' Memorial School has surged from the 48th percentile (2 stars) in 2023–2024 to the 82nd percentile (4 stars) in 2025–2026, a jump of 169 rank positions. Its ELA proficiency is exceptional, with 3rd grade at 81.6% and 5th grade at 75%, far outpacing state averages. Math is a mixed story, however: 3rd grade shines at 79.6%, but 5th grade math was just 28.9% the prior year. Meanwhile, Preston Plains School has held steady around the 53rd percentile with 3 stars. Its 8th grade math proficiency of 53.8% exceeds the state's 41.9%, yet 6th grade math sits well below average at 31.7%, highlighting uneven performance across grade levels despite identical student-teacher ratios (11.9) and nearly equal spending of about $19,400–$19,600 per student.

Chronic absenteeism is the district's biggest challenge. Preston Veterans' Memorial School reports a 28.9% chronic absenteeism rate and Preston Plains School 21.0%, both well above the state average of 16.4%—notably, high test scores coexist with significant attendance struggles at the elementary level. Economically disadvantaged populations differ modestly, with the middle school at 32.62% free/reduced lunch eligibility versus the elementary school's 28.17%. With no high school in the district, students leave for grades 9–12 elsewhere, making this a compact PK–8 system where elementary-level gains are driving the district's overall improvement.