Best Public Schools in Zip Code 83263

Zip code 83263 covers schools in the Preston, Idaho area, all part of Preston Joint District, and includes five schools serving grades PK-12 with a grade-band configuration: Pioneer Elementary School (PK-2), Oakwood Elementary School (3-5), Preston Junior High School (6-8), Preston High School (9-12), and the much smaller Franklin County High School (9-12). Total enrollment across the district is 2,311 students, with about 45% qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Oakwood Elementary School stands out as the strongest academic school in the area. Despite having the highest free/reduced lunch rate (54.5%) among the regular schools, Oakwood's math proficiency is 48.4% — above the state's 43.1% — and its 5th-grade science score (58%) is a full 14 points above Idaho's average. Preston High School also impresses with very low chronic absenteeism at just 2.3% and science proficiency above the state. Preston Junior High School is a mixed picture: its ELA proficiency is slightly above the state (54.6%), but its math proficiency of 32.5% is well below the state average. Pioneer Elementary School has no test scores due to serving PK-2, but its chronic absenteeism rate of 15% is the highest in the zip code and above the state rate of 13.8%.

One of the most notable findings is the math decline between Oakwood Elementary School (48.4% proficiency) and Preston Junior High School (32.5%) — a nearly 16-point gap worth investigating as students transition to middle school. Chronic absenteeism also follows an inverted pattern, with elementary students missing more school than older students. Franklin County High School is an outlier with just 43 students, the highest per-student spending ($9,420), and no recent test data, so it cannot be fairly compared. Preston Junior High School's ranking has slipped steadily from the 62nd to 40th percentile over three years, aligning with its falling math scores. For parents, this district offers strong elementary academics and excellent high school attendance, but middle-school math is the clearest area needing improvement.