Preston Joint District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Preston, Idaho - 5 schools

An equity score of 40/100 ranks Preston Joint District #85 of 139 districts in Idaho (state average 48). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $8,397 per pupil, Preston Joint District ranks #129 of 171 Idaho districts by per-pupil spending (Idaho districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,468
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$8,397
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Preston Joint District operates 5 public schools serving 2,468 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Idaho. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high, 1 middle, 1 combined, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Franklin County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $8,397 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 171 Idaho districts by per-pupil spending. See how Idaho compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 9.5% local, 73.0% state, and 17.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 40/100, ranked #85 of 139 in Idaho against a state average of 48, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 482.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, . Demographically, the student body averages 85.2% White, 11.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Franklin County High School, with a diversity index of 27.9/100.

Its largest campus is Preston High School, enrolling 679 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Franklin County High School, at 43 students, a 16x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Preston High School accounts for 27.5% of all Preston Joint District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Preston Joint District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Preston Joint District school enrollment varies 16× across entities

Preston Joint District school enrollment ranges from 43 students (lowest) to 679 students (highest), a spread of 636 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Preston Joint District student-counselor ratio is 482:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Where does the funding come from?

17.5%
Federal
73.0%
State
9.5%
Local

Funding Equity

40
Equity Score
85 / 139
State Rank
48
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Preston Joint District.

White 85.2%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%
Multiracial 1.3%
Other 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 26.0/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Preston Joint District's schools, below the Idaho average of 36.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Franklin County High School 27.9
  2. 2 Oakwood Elementary School 26.1
  3. 3 Preston Jr High School 25.7
  4. 4 Pioneer Elementary School 25.2
  5. 5 Preston High School 25.0

Programs & Resources

482.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Preston Joint District

School Enrollment
Preston High School
679
Preston Jr High School
540
Pioneer Elementary School
533
Oakwood Elementary School
516
Franklin County High School
43

How Preston Joint District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Idaho districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Shelley Joint District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Moscow District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Emmett Independent District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Fremont County Joint District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Kimberly District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Preston Joint District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Idaho

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Joint School District No. 2
39,496 students · 61 schools · $8,438/pupil
Compare vs Preston Joint District →
Boise Independent District
22,809 students · 51 schools · $12,278/pupil
Compare vs Preston Joint District →
Bonneville Joint District
13,778 students · 26 schools · $8,318/pupil
Compare vs Preston Joint District →
Nampa School District
13,398 students · 25 schools · $10,958/pupil
Compare vs Preston Joint District →
Pocatello District
12,259 students · 25 schools · $8,862/pupil
Compare vs Preston Joint District →

Compare Preston Joint District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Joint School District No. 2 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Preston Joint District?

Preston Joint District has 5 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 1 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,468 students.

How much does Preston Joint District spend per student?

Preston Joint District spends $8,397 per student. The district has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #85 in Idaho.

What is the demographic composition of Preston Joint District?

Preston Joint District students are 85.2% White, 11.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Preston Joint District?

Preston Joint District has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #85 out of 139 districts in Idaho.