Webster County Elementary/middle School, Preston GA

Original Research by School Decision on Webster County Elementary/middle School

Webster County Elementary/Middle School sits in Preston, a rural county seat in southwest Georgia about seventeen miles west of Americus. The school serves grades pre-K through eighth grade with a small enrollment and sits in or near the downtown area anchored by the historic Webster County Courthouse. It is the only elementary-middle school in the Webster County School District.

The student body is economically disadvantaged; every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Enrollment is small, distributed across ten grade levels from pre-K through eighth grade. The student population is roughly split between Black and white students, with smaller numbers of Hispanic, multiracial, and Native American students.

Academic results show clear strain. Math proficiency ranges widely by grade, from below one in five students in fourth and fifth grade to just over half in eighth grade. English language arts is weaker across the board, ranging from below one in four in third grade to roughly one in three in eighth grade. Science proficiency is very low, particularly in eighth grade where fewer than one in twenty students reached proficiency; fifth-grade science showed modest results by comparison. In eighth-grade social studies, no students tested at proficiency level. Only one year of state assessment data is available, so trends cannot be assessed.

The school occupies a community with limited economic diversity and flat or declining growth. Preston has shifted from a municipal charter to consolidated governance, and Webster County overall has been among the least populous in Georgia, with a long history of agricultural economy now supplemented by forestry and manufacturing. Housing values in the 31824 ZIP code (which includes Preston) are well below state and national benchmarks, reflecting the rural and economically modest character of the area. The Webster County School District voters approved a renewal of a dedicated sales tax for school capital projects and program enhancements in 2022, providing a locked-in funding stream for facilities without raising property taxes.

The school serves a place and population with substantial academic and economic headwinds. A parent considering this school should look closely with the school's leadership into what classroom supports and interventions are in place to address the proficiency gaps, particularly in language arts and science, and what resources the dedicated sales tax renewal is directing toward instructional improvement and student support.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 6 pts above state median

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 13%

▼ 24 pts below state median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 21%

▼ 10 pts below state median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 36%

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 55%

▲ 12 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 23%

▼ 8 pts below state median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 30%

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 20%

▼ 18 pts below state median

Grade 67%

School 7% · District 7%

▼ 28 pts below state median

Grade 714%

School 14% · District 14%

▼ 21 pts below state median

Grade 832%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 3 pts below state median

Science

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 33%

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 5%

▼ 22 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 0%

▼ 31 pts below state median

This schoolWebster County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.