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Best Middle Schools in Custer, SD

At a glance

School

101

Students

5-star school

Top rankedCuster Junior High - 0521^st of 246 South Dakota middle schools

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Biggest riser

Custer Junior High - 05 up 15 spots statewide this year

Compare South Dakota cities →See the top-ranked South Dakota schools →

Summary:

Custer, South Dakota is home to a single standout middle school, Custer Junior High - 05, which has consistently ranked among the top middle schools in the state. This school's impressive performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments, with students scoring significantly above state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics, has earned it a reputation for academic excellence.

Custer Junior High - 05 boasts a student-teacher ratio of 13.8, lower than the state average, and a spending per student of $12,487 in 2023-2024. While the school's free/reduced lunch rate of 18.45% in 2023-2024 is lower than the state average, its chronic absenteeism rate of 20.2% in 2024-2025 is on the higher side, an area the school may want to address.

Overall, Custer School District 16-1 is home to a standout middle school that consistently delivers excellent educational outcomes for its students. Custer Junior High - 05's strong academic performance, coupled with its steady improvement over time, make it a shining example of educational excellence in the region.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Custer Junior High - 05	Public	7-8	1645 Wildcat Ln	Custer	57730	Custer County	Custer School District 16-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 673-4473	101	8	13.4	27.7%	89 (88.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	81.2	21^st of 246 public middle schools	91.5%		66.1	36^th of 147 public middle schools	75.5%	15	60.0	72.7	66.0	58.0	61.4	59.6	72.7	$14,156	$445	$13,711

Cities Near Custer

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Hill City	11.22 mi	3	43^rd
Hermosa	20.6 mi	3	171^st
Dewey	21.41 mi	2	36^th
Hot Springs	23.87 mi	3	110^th
Rapid City	24.56 mi	25	144^th

See the top SD South Dakota cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Dakota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.