Is Custer Elementary - 02 a good school?

Custer Elementary - 02 ranks 67 th of 201 South Dakota elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Custer Elementary - 02?

In the 2023-24 school year, 293 students attended Custer Elementary - 02.

What is the racial makeup of Custer Elementary - 02?

Students at Custer Elementary - 02 are 85% White, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Custer Elementary - 02 attend?

Students who attend Custer Elementary - 02 usually go on to attend: Middle : Custer Junior High - 05 High : Custer High School - 01

Custer Elementary - 02

Summary:

Custer Elementary - 02 is a public elementary school in Custer, South Dakota, serving 304 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Custer School District 16-1, which is ranked 46 out of 126 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Custer Elementary - 02 consistently outperforms the district and state averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. In the 2023-2024 school year, 58.33% of students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 52.6% for the district and 50.04% for the state. In Mathematics, 58.34% of students were proficient or better, compared to 47.3% for the district and 42.95% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in 4th grade, where 76.93% of students were proficient or better in ELA and 79.49% in Mathematics, significantly higher than the district and state averages.

The school's focus on equity and inclusive practices is commendable, as it has consistently strong performance across different student subgroups, including female, male, and white students, as well as low socioeconomic status (SES) students. However, the school's performance for special education students is relatively lower, ranking 54th out of 62 South Dakota elementary schools in the 2017-2018 school year, with a 1-star rating. The school has also seen a slight increase in chronic absenteeism, from 11.0% in 2022-2023 to 14.1% in 2023-2024, which is still lower than the state average. Overall, Custer Elementary - 02 is a high-performing school that provides a quality education to its students, but it should continue to monitor and address any challenges to ensure all students have the support they need to succeed.

Detail:

Public K-6

1415 Wildcat Ln
Custer, SD 57730

(605) 673-4483

District: Custer School District 16-1

SchoolDigger Rank:
67^th of 201 South Dakota Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,223

Students who attend Custer Elementary - 02 usually attend:

Middle:	Custer Junior High - 05
High:	Custer High School - 01

Student/teacher ratio: 11.2

Number of students: 293

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.0%

Hispanic:

7.8%

Two or more races:

4.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 24.2%

See top rated South Dakota elementary schools

Compare Custer Elementary - 02 to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Custer Elementary - 02 ranks better than 66.7% of elementary schools in South Dakota. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.24. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (85%), Hispanic (7.8%), two or more races (4.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 24.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Custer Elementary - 02 is 11.2. (See more...)

Compare Custer Elementary - 02 employs 26 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Custer Elementary - 02 is $14,223.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Custer Elementary - 02:

SchoolDigger ranks Custer Elementary - 02 67^th of 201 South Dakota public elementary schools. (See Custer Elementary - 02 in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Custer School District 16-1:

SchoolDigger ranks Custer School District 16-1 46^th of 126 South Dakota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Custer Elementary - 02

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Rank History for all students at Custer Elementary - 02

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SD State Percentile
2003	59.80	79^th	187	57.8%
2004	52.46	117^th	189	38.1%
2005	53.30	117^th	194	39.7%
2006	53.68	126^th	197	36.0%
2007	48.93	135^th	194	30.4%
2008	57.94	104^th	194	46.4%
2009	50.54	124^th	196	36.7%
2010	58.69	101^st	206	51.0%
2011	44.77	147^th	205	28.3%
2012	61.41	89^th	214	58.4%
2013	63.98	73^rd	201	63.7%
2015	43.76	136^th	209	34.9%
2016	34.53	155^th	206	24.8%
2017	39.76	142^nd	207	31.4%
2018	30.39	159^th	204	22.1%
2019	43.14	126^th	206	38.8%
2021	45.75	119^th	202	41.1%
2022	50.93	103^rd	202	49.0%
2023	66.39	69^th	204	66.2%
2024	63.24	67^th	201	66.7%

See the entire list of South Dakota Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Custer Elementary - 02

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SD State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	23.64	54^th	62	12.9%

See the entire list of Best South Dakota Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Custer Elementary - 02

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SD State Percentile
2018	32.85	92^nd	121	24.0%
2019	43.06	72^nd	121	40.5%
2021	61.52	31^st	106	70.8%
2023	66.73	30^th	112	73.2%
2024	56.75	32^nd	110	70.9%

See the entire list of Best South Dakota Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Custer Elementary - 02

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SD State Percentile
2018	38.31	113^th	163	30.7%
2019	44.31	92^nd	155	40.6%
2021	37.56	106^th	151	29.8%
2022	49.66	76^th	150	49.3%
2023	64.72	45^th	154	70.8%
2024	63.65	56^th	165	66.1%

See the entire list of Best South Dakota Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Custer Elementary - 02

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SD State Percentile
2018	29.32	136^th	170	20.0%
2019	45.01	91^st	160	43.1%
2021	55.31	75^th	157	52.2%
2022	54.54	72^nd	154	53.2%
2023	67.34	52^nd	166	68.7%
2024	62.32	59^th	161	63.4%

See the entire list of Best South Dakota Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Custer Elementary - 02

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SD State Percentile
2018	19.92	165^th	186	11.3%
2019	35.22	137^th	191	28.3%
2021	39.98	121^st	185	34.6%
2022	47.36	99^th	184	46.2%
2023	61.80	72^nd	185	61.1%
2024	56.00	80^th	184	56.5%

See the entire list of Best South Dakota Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: South Dakota Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: South Dakota Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Custer Elementary - 02

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	526	526
1990	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	434	434
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	467	467
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	467	467
1993	402	0	0	3	18	n/a	n/a	0	423
1994	395	1	1	4	17	n/a	n/a	0	418
1995	347	1	2	3	20	n/a	n/a	0	373
1996	347	1	2	3	20	n/a	n/a	0	373
1997	323	1	2	4	23	n/a	n/a	0	353
1998	322	2	2	4	15	n/a	n/a	0	345
1999	315	1	5	3	19	n/a	n/a	0	343
2000	300	1	4	10	14	n/a	n/a	0	329
2001	308	3	0	9	14	n/a	n/a	0	334
2002	299	4	2	9	13	n/a	n/a	0	327
2003	299	4	2	9	13	n/a	n/a	0	327
2004	314	2	1	6	20	n/a	n/a	0	343
2005	303	2	0	9	21	n/a	n/a	0	335
2006	298	1	1	5	17	n/a	n/a	0	322
2007	292	0	1	7	17	n/a	n/a	0	317
2008	269	2	4	7	18	n/a	n/a	0	300
2009	288	2	4	10	24	n/a	n/a	0	328
2010	262	2	3	10	15	n/a	n/a	0	292
2011	244	2	2	14	11	0	0	0	273
2012	223	3	0	16	11	0	1	0	254
2013	280	3	0	19	20	0	6	0	328
2014	290	3	0	21	22	0	7	0	343
2015	293	2	0	21	21	0	12	0	349
2016	283	2	0	28	24	0	6	0	343
2017	287	2	0	28	20	0	4	0	341
2018	290	1	2	30	16	0	7	0	346
2019	290	1	0	23	19	0	7	0	340
2020	266	1	0	21	7	0	6	0	301
2021	240	1	0	18	8	0	4	0	271
2022	265	1	0	22	11	0	5	0	304
2023	263	0	0	21	10	0	10	0	304
2024	249	0	0	23	7	0	14	0	293

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Custer Elementary - 02

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	526	27.7	18.9	n/a
1990	434	26.2	16.5	n/a
1991	467	29.5	15.8	n/a
1992	467	29.5	15.8	n/a
1993	423	24.8	17.1	n/a
1994	418	24.8	16.9	n/a
1995	373	25.4	14.7	n/a
1996	373	25.4	14.7	n/a
1997	353	23.8	14.8	22.1
1998	345	24.0	14.4	29.3
1999	343	22.8	15.0	31.8
2000	329	24.8	13.3	27.7
2001	334	23.7	14.1	31.7
2002	327	24.1	13.6	36.7
2003	327	24.1	13.6	36.7
2004	343	24.5	14.0	34.1
2005	335	24.1	13.9	33.1
2006	322	28.4	11.3	40.7
2007	317	27.7	11.4	36
2008	300	27.0	11.1	40
2009	328	25.8	12.7	33.5
2010	292	24.6	11.8	38
2011	273	23.6	11.5	41.4
2012	254	21.0	12.0	40.2
2013	328	22.8	14.3	36
2014	343	24.1	14.2	34.4
2015	349	25.0	13.9	36.4
2016	343	27.0	12.7	40.5
2017	341	26.9	12.6	37.8
2018	346	25.9	13.3	34.7
2019	340	26.0	13.0	33.2
2020	301	26.2	11.4	32.9
2021	271	26.1	10.3	23.2
2022	304	25.2	12.0	17.4
2023	304	26.0	11.6	19.1
2024	293	26.0	11.2	24.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Custer Elementary - 02

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	526	27.7	18.9	n/a
1990	434	26.2	16.5	n/a
1991	467	29.5	15.8	n/a
1992	467	29.5	15.8	n/a
1993	423	24.8	17.1	n/a
1994	418	24.8	16.9	n/a
1995	373	25.4	14.7	n/a
1996	373	25.4	14.7	n/a
1997	353	23.8	14.8	22.1
1998	345	24.0	14.4	29.3
1999	343	22.8	15.0	31.8
2000	329	24.8	13.3	27.7
2001	334	23.7	14.1	31.7
2002	327	24.1	13.6	36.7
2003	327	24.1	13.6	36.7
2004	343	24.5	14.0	34.1
2005	335	24.1	13.9	33.1
2006	322	28.4	11.3	40.7
2007	317	27.7	11.4	36
2008	300	27.0	11.1	40
2009	328	25.8	12.7	33.5
2010	292	24.6	11.8	38
2011	273	23.6	11.5	41.4
2012	254	21.0	12.0	40.2
2013	328	22.8	14.3	36
2014	343	24.1	14.2	34.4
2015	349	25.0	13.9	36.4
2016	343	27.0	12.7	40.5
2017	341	26.9	12.6	37.8
2018	346	25.9	13.3	34.7
2019	340	26.0	13.0	33.2
2020	301	26.2	11.4	32.9
2021	271	26.1	10.3	23.2
2022	304	25.2	12.0	17.4
2023	304	26.0	11.6	19.1
2024	293	26.0	11.2	24.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Custer Elementary - 02

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2020	$634 (5.6%)	$10,773 (94.5%)	$11,406
2021	$1,210 (9.2%)	$11,913 (90.8%)	$13,123
2022	$2,243 (16.3%)	$11,501 (83.7%)	$13,744
2023	$1,510 (10.6%)	$12,714 (89.4%)	$14,223

Data source: South Dakota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Custer Elementary - 02

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 126^th of 206 Elementary schools	Ranks 69^th of 204 Elementary schools	27.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Custer Elementary - 02)	45.2	46.2	0.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Custer School District 16-1)	48.5	45.9	2.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Dakota)	49.1	45.3	3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Custer Elementary - 02)	64.3	71.8	7.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Custer School District 16-1)	57.6	65.6	8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Dakota)	52.7	51.1	1.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Custer Elementary - 02)	46.5	44.5	2.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Custer School District 16-1)	48	41.5	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Dakota)	50.3	47.2	3.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Custer Elementary - 02)	46.5	51.1	4.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Custer School District 16-1)	42.5	47.7	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Dakota)	49	47.7	1.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Custer Elementary - 02)	59.6	60	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Custer School District 16-1)	58.8	52.1	6.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Dakota)	54.1	48.7	5.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Custer Elementary - 02)	29.8	46.7	16.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Custer School District 16-1)	29.4	32.9	3.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (South Dakota)	40.5	39.4	1.2%
5th Grade Science (Custer Elementary - 02)	36.2	46.7	10.5%
5th Grade Science (Custer School District 16-1)	30.9	42.5	11.6%
5th Grade Science (South Dakota)	42.1	39.9	2.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Custer Elementary - 02)	56.7	58.7	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Custer School District 16-1)	48.8	54.7	5.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Dakota)	50.8	44.6	6.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Custer Elementary - 02)	35	71.7	36.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Custer School District 16-1)	34.9	57.3	22.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (South Dakota)	41.3	39.1	2.2%
All Grades English Language Arts (Custer Elementary - 02)	52.6	52.6	0%
All Grades English Language Arts (Custer School District 16-1)	53.5	52.2	1.3%
All Grades English Language Arts (South Dakota)	53.2	49.7	3.5%
All Grades Mathematics (Custer Elementary - 02)	42.7	60	17.3%
All Grades Mathematics (Custer School District 16-1)	39.2	44.2	5%
All Grades Mathematics (South Dakota)	44.9	41.9	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	340	304	10.6%
African American	1	0	100%
American Indian	19	10	47.4%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	23	21	8.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	290	263	9.3%
Two or More Races	7	10	42.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	33.2%	19.1%	14.2%

Schools Near Custer Elementary - 02

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Custer Elementary - 02	Public	K-6	1415 Wildcat Ln	Custer	57730	Custer County	Custer School District 16-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 673-4483	293	26	11.2	24.2%	249 (85.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.8%)	63.2	67^th of 201 public elementary schools	66.7%		66.4	69^th of 204 public elementary schools	66.2%	2	51.3	76.9	48.8	57.5	58.3	69.2	79.5	32.6	55.3	58.3	32.6	$14,223	$1,510	$12,714
Hill City Elementary - 02	Public	PK, KG-5	341 Main St	Hill City	57745	Pennington County	Hill City School District 51-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 574-3015	236	18	13.3	30.5%	169 (71.6%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (16.5%)	3 (1.3%)	12 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.5%)	49.4	111^th of 201 public elementary schools	44.8%		42.8	122^nd of 204 public elementary schools	40.2%	11	36.8	56.8	63.4		52.8	36.9	43.2	53.7		44.7	39.0	$12,306	$1,010	$11,296

Custer Elementary - 02

Custer Elementary - 02:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Custer School District 16-1:

What do you think?

Rank History for Custer Elementary - 02

Rank History for all students at Custer Elementary - 02

Rank History for Special Education students at Custer Elementary - 02

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Custer Elementary - 02

Rank History for Female students at Custer Elementary - 02

Rank History for Male students at Custer Elementary - 02

Rank History for White students at Custer Elementary - 02

Enrollment information for Custer Elementary - 02

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Custer Elementary - 02

Student/Teacher Ratio Custer Elementary - 02

Per Pupil Expenditures for Custer Elementary - 02

Impact of COVID-19 on Custer Elementary - 02

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Custer Elementary - 02