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Custer Junior High - 05

Q: Is Custer Junior High - 05 a good school?

Custer Junior High - 05 ranks 32 nd of 151 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

32^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 151 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 79% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Custer Junior High - 05 serves 101 students in grades 7–8 in Custer, South Dakota. Its clearest achievement strength is math, while eighth-grade ELA is a specific area of concern; the most urgent issue to watch is attendance, with chronic absenteeism rising to 26% in 2025–2026, above the district’s 16%, the state’s 20%, and both nearby schools.

Math results are strong across both grades: proficiency was 61% in seventh grade and 55% in eighth, above the same-grade results at Hermosa Middle School - 07 and Hill City Middle School - 04. Overall, math proficiency was 58%, 14 points above the state and 2 above the district. ELA is less consistent: seventh-grade proficiency was 61%, but eighth grade was 45%—below the state and district and about 13 points below each nearby school. Overall ELA was 53%, slightly above the state but just below the district. Eighth-grade science was another relative strength at 53%, 13 points above the state and about 1 point above the district.

Math proficiency has climbed 22 points since 2022–2023, though it dipped slightly in the latest year. ELA rose 3 points over that period but fell from 66% in 2024–2025 to 53% in 2025–2026; science also dropped sharply from its 73% peak in 2024–2025 to 53%. SchoolDigger ranked the school 32nd of 151 statewide in 2025–2026, at the 79th percentile with 4 stars, down from the 91st percentile and 5 stars the year before. Its 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 13.4, and 28% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year, compared with 31% at Hermosa and 29% at Hill City. One notable group-specific result: SchoolDigger’s 2024–2025 effectiveness ranking for special education students was at the 20th percentile, compared with the school’s 91st-percentile overall ranking.

101

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,156

Per pupil spending ?

27.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

1645 Wildcat Ln
Custer, SD 57730

(605) 673-4473

District: Custer School District 16-1

Students who attend Custer Junior High - 05 usually attend:

High:

Custer High School - 01

Feeder schools for Custer Junior High - 05:

Elementary:	Custer Elementary - 02
	Hermosa Elementary - 04

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.1%

American Indian:

6.9%

Hispanic:

4.0%

See top rated South Dakota middle schools

Compare Custer Junior High - 05 to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 24th percentile in 2016 → 79th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (55% vs 46% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of South Dakota middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 55 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school55%

District avg55%

South Dakota avg46%

32^nd of 151

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Top 21%▲ up 55 pts since 2016

From bottom 24% (2016) to top 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Custer School District 16-1

34^th of 126Custer School District 16-1 among South Dakota districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	70.9	32 of 151	78.8%	★★★★☆
2025	81.2	21 of 246	91.5%	★★★★★
2024	66.1	36 of 147	75.5%	★★★★☆
2023	52.0	74 of 150	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.2	48 of 143	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.5	53 of 145	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.1	43 of 149	71.1%	★★★★☆
2018	38.9	106 of 147	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	32.3	115 of 146	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.2	112 of 147	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	27.6	122 of 145	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	30.4	126 of 145	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	63.7	55 of 146	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	63.1	55 of 140	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.0	72 of 139	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	41.2	107 of 139	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	34.6	116 of 136	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	55.8	69 of 136	49.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	39.4	114 of 141	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	49.3	89 of 136	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	58.8	63 of 134	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2003	64.0	41 of 133	69.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	66.7	33 of 115	71.3%	★★★★☆
2025	75.9	24 of 229	89.5%	★★★★☆
2024	64.4	29 of 107	72.9%	★★★★☆
2023	28.4	87 of 112	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.4	69 of 102	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	70.5	20 of 113	82.3%	★★★★☆
2019	76.7	11 of 107	89.7%	★★★★★
2018	38.4	75 of 99	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	78.9	9 of 117	92.3%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	64.5	15 of 68	77.9%	★★★★☆
2025	56.4	65 of 187	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	80.9	7 of 65	89.2%	★★★★★
2023	67.8	13 of 70	81.4%	★★★★☆
2021	71.6	8 of 63	87.3%	★★★★☆
2019	58.7	26 of 79	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	30.6	57 of 71	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	66.9	30 of 117	74.4%	★★★★☆
2025	79.9	22 of 233	90.6%	★★★★★
2024	65.1	35 of 115	69.6%	★★★★☆
2023	66.2	26 of 116	77.6%	★★★★☆
2022	73.0	17 of 104	83.7%	★★★★☆
2021	50.8	52 of 115	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.6	61 of 110	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.0	91 of 111	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	48.8	44 of 111	60.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	30.1	145 of 181	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	63.6	44 of 133	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	80.2	16 of 230	93.0%	★★★★★
2024	63.1	39 of 132	70.5%	★★★★☆
2023	54.4	56 of 136	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.9	58 of 132	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.5	70 of 136	48.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.8	50 of 136	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	29.8	104 of 131	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)92nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)78th percentile~ school

Male (2026)74th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)71st percentile-8 vs school

White (2026)67th percentile-12 vs school

Native American (2025)60th percentile-31 vs school

Special Education (2025)20th percentile-72 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics58%+14 vs state

Science53%+13 vs state

English Language Arts53%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Custer Junior High - 05

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2026)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	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 6th Grade	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%)	70.9	32^nd of 151 public middle schools	78.8%		81.2	21^st of 246 public middle schools	91.5%	11		60.9	44.7	52.7		60.9	55.3	58.1	53.2	$14,156	$445	$13,711
Hill City Middle School - 04	Public	6-8	341 Main St	Hill City	57745	Pennington County	Hill City School District 51-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 574-3025	115	5	21.1	28.7%	76 (66.1%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (22.6%)	3 (2.6%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.0%)	72.4	30^th of 151 public middle schools	80.1%		57.4	102^nd of 246 public middle schools	58.5%	72	67.4	73.8	57.7	67.5	47.8	52.4	30.8	45.6	57.7	$11,167	$316	$10,851
Hermosa Middle School - 07	Public	7-8	11 4th St	Hermosa	57744	Custer County	Custer School District 16-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(605) 255-4345	48	5	9.0	31.3%	40 (83.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.3%)	2 (4.2%)	2 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.1%)	65.1	48^th of 151 public middle schools	68.2%		51.1	130^th of 246 public middle schools	47.2%	82		42.9	57.9	51.5		57.1	47.4	51.5	52.6	$15,464	$445	$15,018

Frequently Asked Questions about Custer Junior High - 05

Is Custer Junior High - 05 a good school?

Custer Junior High - 05 ranks 32^nd of 151 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Custer Junior High - 05 attend?

Students who attend Custer Junior High - 05 usually go on to attend Custer High School - 01

What district is Custer Junior High - 05 in?

Custer School District 16-1

What is the racial makeup of Custer Junior High - 05?

Students at Custer Junior High - 05 are 88% White, 7% American Indian, 4% Hispanic.

How many students attend Custer Junior High - 05?

In the 2024-25 school year, 101 students attended Custer Junior High - 05.

Rate Custer Junior High - 05!

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Latest South Dakota data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewNov 6, 2026

2025–26 SD ACT & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewNov 6, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation rates (updated)NewNov 1, 2026

2025–26 immunization ratesOct 24, 2026

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.