Summary:
Zip code 31824, serving the Preston, Georgia area, is home to just two schools within the Webster County School District, which together serve students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in a small, rural, and high-poverty community where all students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
For parents comparing the two schools, Webster County Elementary/Middle School (PK-8, 170 students) shows a clear bright spot in early math: 3rd graders hit 60% proficiency, beating the state average of 48.3%. However, this success does not carry through upper grades—5th grade math proficiency plummets to just 13%, and 8th grade social studies sits at a concerning 0% proficiency for the second straight year. The school’s overall ranking has improved modestly over three years, moving from the 27th to the 34th percentile. In contrast, Webster County High School (9-12, only 58 students) struggles more broadly, with End of Course exam proficiency at 13% in Algebra I and 13.3% in Biology, both far below state averages. Its ranking has slipped to the 7th percentile, yet it posted a perfect 100% graduation rate in 2023-2024—a paradox that suggests students may be graduating despite significant academic gaps.
Both schools share the same campus and spend generously—$23,809 per student at the elementary/middle school and $27,668 at the high school—while maintaining excellent student-teacher ratios around 9:1. Despite these resources, outcomes remain below state benchmarks. Chronic absenteeism tells a split story: the elementary/middle school (14.8%) actually beats the state average (17.7%), but the high school (21.5%) is notably worse. With such small cohorts, test scores swing dramatically year to year, so parents should interpret single-year results cautiously. The district’s 1-star rating and 13th-percentile state ranking reflect systemic challenges, though the strong 3rd grade math performance and improving elementary/middle school trajectory offer genuine foundations for hope.
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