Summary:
Custer County School District Consolidate 1 is a small, rural Colorado district in Westcliffe serving 313 students across three schools—Custer County Elementary School (PK–5, 146 students), Custer Middle School (grades 6–8, 69 students), and Custer County High School (grades 9–12, 98 students)—all sharing one campus. The district ranks 90th out of 115 Colorado districts (22nd percentile) with a 1-star rating, and roughly half of students in each school qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The high school stands out for its graduation outcomes, posting a 96.0% graduation rate versus the state's 85.6% and just a 0.7% dropout rate. It also exceeds the state in 11th-grade science proficiency (33.3% vs. 24.8%). However, SAT math proficiency is only 14% compared to 32% statewide, revealing a graduation-versus-college-readiness gap. Custer Middle School is the area of greatest concern, with just 20.4% ELA and 16.3% math proficiency in 2025–26, along with the district's highest free/reduced lunch rate (53.62%). The elementary school saw ELA proficiency plunge from 47.9% in 2024–25 to 27.1% in 2025–26, a 20-point swing that warrants attention.
Math is a district-wide weakness; every school scores well below state averages, and middle school math dipped to just 11.1% in 2024–25. Chronic absenteeism runs below the state's 28.4% at the elementary (15.4%) and middle (16.9%) levels, but the high school's 22.9% rate is surprisingly high given its strong graduation numbers. Favorable student–teacher ratios (9.6 to 12.9) do not translate into test success, suggesting poverty and rural isolation play significant roles. Early indicators are more encouraging—PSAT 10 reading/writing matched the state at 65%—implying students may lose ground by 11th grade.
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