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Custer Junior High - 05

Public Grades 7-8

21^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 246 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 91% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Custer Junior High - 05 is a public middle school in Custer, South Dakota, serving 103 students in grades 7-8. The school is part of the Custer School District 16-1, which is ranked 58 out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Custer Junior High - 05 is a high-performing middle school, consistently ranking among the top schools in South Dakota. The school has shown exceptional academic performance, particularly in 8th grade English Language Arts and Mathematics, where it outperforms the state and district averages. The school's performance is also noteworthy for specific student groups, such as Hispanic students and White students, who rank among the top 20% of South Dakota middle schools. Additionally, the school's performance for Low Socio-Economic Status students is commendable, ranking in the top 35% of South Dakota middle schools.

While Custer Junior High - 05 has faced some challenges with fluctuating chronic absenteeism rates, the school's overall commitment to supporting students from diverse backgrounds is evident. Compared to the nearby Hermosa Middle School - 07 and Hill City Middle School - 04, Custer Junior High - 05 generally outperforms these schools in academic metrics, such as Smarter Balanced Assessments. The school's high spending per student, ranging from $10,720 to $13,520 over the past few years, may contribute to its strong academic performance.

101

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,156

Per pupil spending ?

27.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

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 — 16th percentile in 2015 → 91st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (65% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 9% of South Dakota middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 75 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school65%

District avg56%

South Dakota avg47%

21^st of 246

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Top 9%▲ up 76 pts since 2015

From bottom 16% (2015) to top 9% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

58^th of 147Custer 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
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
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
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
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
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)

White (2025)93rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)92nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)91st percentile~ school

Female (2025)90th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)65th percentile-26 vs school

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

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

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Science73%+30 vs state

English Language Arts66%+15 vs state

Mathematics60%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Custer Junior High - 05

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 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%)	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
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%)	57.4	102^nd of 246 public middle schools	58.5%		51.2	76^th of 147 public middle schools	48.3%	26	64.3	52.0	48.7	55.8	47.6	28.0	24.3	34.6	45.9	$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%)	51.1	130^th of 246 public middle schools	47.2%					(n/a)		71.4	38.5	53.2		38.1	26.9	31.9	34.6	$15,464	$445	$15,018

Frequently Asked Questions about Custer Junior High - 05

How many students attend Custer Junior High - 05?

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

Is Custer Junior High - 05 a good school?

Yes. Custer Junior High - 05 ranks in the top 8.5% of South Dakota middle schools.

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.

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

Rate Custer Junior High - 05!

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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.