Best Public Schools in Bristol, IN

Bristol, Indiana, has two elementary schools in this data set—Bristol Elementary School (PK–5, 296 students) and York Elementary School (K–3, 260 students)—serving 556 students combined, with no middle or high schools listed for the city. They belong to different districts: Bristol is in Elkhart Community Schools, and York is in Middlebury Community Schools. Because York Elementary School serves only K–3 and Bristol Elementary School serves PK–5, their “All Grades” test results cover different grade levels, so direct comparisons should be read with caution.

York Elementary School is the current academic standout. In 2025–26, its All Grades ELA proficiency was 55.71% and math was 65.71%, well above Bristol Elementary School’s 24.62% ELA and 35.94% math. York Elementary School also exceeded Indiana’s 3rd-grade rates—40.8% ELA and 51.9% math—and improved its ELA from 39.71% the prior year. However, it remained below its own district’s 3rd-grade averages of 69.96% ELA and 78.8% math. Bristol Elementary School is academically lower but improving: its statewide rank rose from 13th percentile to 27th percentile over three years, though it remains 1 star and below state averages in the grade-level comparisons provided.

Attendance and resources offer another contrast. Bristol Elementary School’s chronic absenteeism was 12.2%, better than York Elementary School’s 14.2%, the state’s 16.7%, and far below Elkhart Community Schools’ 28.2%. Bristol Elementary School also had a higher free/reduced lunch rate—58.45% vs. York Elementary School’s 42.31%—and spent $16,991 per student compared with York Elementary School’s $11,125. Bristol Elementary School’s 5th-grade social studies rose from 15% to 34.88%, a notable gain. Overall, York Elementary School leads in current proficiency, while Bristol Elementary School shows improvement and stronger attendance within a higher-poverty district context; the two schools’ different grade spans and districts make a simple ranking less meaningful than looking at each school’s own trajectory.