Summary:
The city of Custer, South Dakota is home to a single elementary school, Custer Elementary - 02, which serves students from kindergarten through 5th grade. This school has consistently ranked in the top 25% of elementary schools in South Dakota over the past three school years, with a high ranking of 43 out of 300 schools in 2024-2025.
Custer Elementary - 02 is a standout performer, significantly outpacing the state and district averages on Smarter Balanced Assessments in both English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, 63.39% of students were proficient or better in ELA compared to 50.93% statewide, and 60.13% were proficient in Math compared to 43.49% statewide. The school also has a lower chronic absenteeism rate of 20.2% compared to the state average.
With a per-student spending of $15,803 and a student-teacher ratio of 11.2:1, Custer School District 16-1 appears to be allocating sufficient resources to support the high-quality education provided at Custer Elementary - 02. This combination of strong academic performance, low absenteeism, and adequate funding suggests that Custer Elementary - 02 is a model of excellence in the region and could provide valuable insights for other schools looking to improve their outcomes.
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