For many Boston families it is one of the biggest perks of living in the city — free public preschool — and a national report released Wednesday made clear how fortunate families are to have access to it.
Boston was one of just five cities to receive the highest rating, a gold medal, for its commitment to providing a quality preschool experience to at least 30 percent of its 4-year-olds, according to the report by the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University and City Health, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.