Best Public Schools in Lincoln, NH

Lincoln, New Hampshire, is a small White Mountains community served by three public schools in the Lincoln-Woodstock Cooperative School District, covering grades K–12 and enrolling about 241 students. Lin-Wood Public School (Elem) serves grades K–5 with 101 students, Lin-Wood Public School (Middle) serves grades 6–8 with 58 students, and Lin-Wood Public School (High) serves grades 9–12 with 82 students. The small enrollments and low student-teacher ratios may allow for close personal attention, although yearly results can change noticeably because each grade has relatively few students.

Lin-Wood Public School (Middle) is currently the strongest-ranked school in the area, placing 58th of 138 middle schools and earning three stars. Its mathematics and reading proficiency rates were both 52%, with especially strong sixth-grade mathematics at 67%. However, its ranking has declined from the prior two years, largely alongside a 16-point drop in reading. Lin-Wood Public School (Elem) has the most encouraging upward trend, improving from the 27th to the 49th percentile over three years. Its strongest areas are fifth-grade science, at 59% proficient compared with 38% statewide, and fifth-grade reading, at 65%. Reading in third grade and performance in some earlier grades remain areas to watch.

Lin-Wood Public School (High) is the main academic concern, ranking in the 12th percentile statewide. Mathematics proficiency was 15%, while reading was 38% and science 31%, all below state results. SAT performance was also weak, particularly in mathematics. At the same time, the school reported a 100% graduation rate and zero dropout rate in 2024–25, showing strong student completion despite low assessment scores. Parents may want to focus on the transition from middle to high school, seventh-grade performance, high-school mathematics, and college readiness. The district’s small size makes multi-year results more useful than any single year’s ranking.