Summary:
In zip code 81252, there is just one middle school serving grades 6 through 8: Custer Middle School, a small rural school in Westcliffe, Colorado, that is part of the Custer County School District Consolidate 1. Enrolling only 69 students, Custer Middle School offers a notably personal learning environment with a student-to-teacher ratio of 10.2, meaning class sizes are relatively small. More than half of the student body (53.62%) qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a predominantly low-income population.
Academically, test scores at Custer Middle School trail state averages by a wide margin. In the most recent testing year, just 20.4% of students were proficient in English Language Arts and 16.3% in math, compared to statewide rates of 44.7% and 37.3%. Eighth-grade science proficiency sits at 21.1% against a state average of 35.4%. However, the school performs better in some areas than others: 6th-grade math proficiency reached 25%, much closer to the state average of 32.7%. Attendance is a relative strength, with a chronic absenteeism rate of 16.9% that is lower than both the district's 18.3% and the state's 28.4%. The dropout rate is zero.
Looking at trends, the school shows a mixed picture. Math proficiency improved from 11.1% to 16.3% year over year, but ELA proficiency declined from 25.9% to 20.4%, and 8th-grade science dropped sharply from 36.4% to 21.1%. Custer Middle School's state ranking has slipped to 355 out of 469 (24th percentile), earning a 1-star rating. In many cases, the school's test scores are identical to the district's, which makes sense since Custer Middle School is the only middle school in its district. Parents should keep in mind that with only 69 students, a few students can have a big impact on proficiency percentages, making year-to-year swings potentially dramatic.
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