Summary:
In zip code 83263, there are two public high schools—Preston High School and Franklin County High School—both serving grades 9–12 in the Preston, Idaho area as part of the Preston Joint District. The two schools are dramatically different in size: Preston High School enrolls 679 students, while Franklin County High School has just 43 students, meaning Preston serves about 94% of the high school students in this zip code.
For parents comparing the two schools, the differences in daily experience and resources are significant. Preston High School has much lower chronic absenteeism at 2.3% compared to Franklin County’s 11.3%, and it also has a lower free/reduced lunch rate (34.5% vs. 53.5%), indicating a less economically disadvantaged student population. Preston also reports a science proficiency rate of 46.5%, above the state average of 42.6%, while Franklin County has no recent test score data. Both schools report the same 82.5% graduation rate, but this figure is also identical to the district and state averages, which suggests it may be a rounding artifact rather than a true measure of school performance. Franklin County spends more per student ($9,420 vs. $6,117) but has no recent ranking data; its last recorded rank was 160 out of 160 in 2012–2013.
The bottom line for families is that Preston High School is the large, comprehensive option with stronger measurable outcomes, lower absenteeism, and a more efficient cost structure, making it the clear standout in the area. Franklin County High School is a very small school that appears to serve a higher-need or alternative population, with elevated poverty and absenteeism, but its limited data makes it hard to judge current performance. Parents should be cautious about the identical graduation rates and should consider the different environments these schools offer, rather than relying on official comparisons that are incomplete.
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