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Custer Elementary School

Q: Is Custer Elementary School a good school?

Custer Elementary School ranks 640 th of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

640^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,160 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 45% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Custer Elementary School is a public Pre-K through 5th grade school serving 358 students in Lakewood, WA, as part of the Clover Park School District, and it is currently showing remarkable academic improvement.

Recent data highlights Custer as a standout school within its district, particularly for its exceptional science program where 59% of students are proficient—significantly higher than both the district and state averages. The school is also notably effective in supporting its students from lower-income families, ranking higher in this area than in its overall performance. While Custer's test scores generally trail the Washington state average, they are stronger than most other Clover Park elementary schools like Idlewild Elementary School, Dower Elementary School, and Park Lodge Elementary School, especially considering the economic challenges many of its students face.

Custer's statewide ranking has made impressive gains, jumping to the 45th percentile, which is its highest position in at least ten years. This positive trajectory suggests the school's strategies and resources are having a real impact. It's important for parents to know that schools in neighboring districts, such as Chambers Elementary in the University Place School District, often have higher overall scores, reflecting broader community and district factors. For families in the Lakewood area, Custer represents a compelling story of a school on the rise, demonstrating strong outcomes in key subjects and effective support for its student community.

358

Students ?

17.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,154

Per pupil spending ?

74%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7801 Steilacoom Blvd SW
Lakewood, WA 98498-6198

(253) 583-5230

District: Clover Park School District

Students who attend Custer Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hudtloff Middle School
High:	General William H. Harrison Preparatory School
	Lakes High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

27.1%

White:

25.1%

Two or more races:

19.0%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Custer Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 24th percentile in 2013 → 45th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 21 percentile points since 2013

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school48%

District avg33%

Washington avg48%

640^th of 1,160

Washington public elementary schools ?

Bottom 45%▲ up 31 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 16Elementary Schools in the Clover Park School District

179^th of 247Clover Park School District among Washington 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	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	43.1	640 of 1160	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.9	853 of 1168	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.6	862 of 1169	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.9	887 of 1169	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.1	886 of 1107	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.0	957 of 1130	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	9.3	997 of 1056	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	46.9	573 of 1053	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	17.7	924 of 1067	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	29.9	846 of 1106	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	17.4	979 of 1097	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	33.7	798 of 1092	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	28.6	848 of 1088	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.5	761 of 1072	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	37.5	709 of 1067	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	31.0	788 of 1069	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	26.0	846 of 1051	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	16.5	907 of 1031	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	47.8	550 of 1026	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	38.7	659 of 1092	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.2	768 of 1093	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.1	893 of 1094	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	23.0	892 of 1100	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.1	923 of 1008	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.3	863 of 1068	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.0	748 of 1004	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	53.2	450 of 1013	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.2	591 of 1024	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.1	575 of 1013	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.4	610 of 1019	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.4	444 of 854	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.0	604 of 979	38.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	45.3	587 of 1098	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.4	663 of 1099	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.4	738 of 1099	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.2	766 of 1113	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.4	689 of 1025	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	14.1	965 of 1075	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.6	913 of 999	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2019	6.4	1001 of 1027	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.3	696 of 833	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)47th percentile~ school

Female (2025)40th percentile-5 vs school

White (2019)3rd percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

Science59%+10 vs state

English Language Arts46%-7 vs state

Math39%-4 vs state

3.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, July 13, 2020

We had to take our kids out of Custer because of Bullying and Racism. The Principal don’t care about the kids. Close Quote

by a parent
Tuesday, February 25, 2020

My daughters have been attending Custer since day one of Kindergarten. My older is now a 5th grader and I also have a 1st grader and they BOTH LOVE IT! All the staff, from principals and teachers, to custodians and receptionist, they are all AMAZING! You can tell they all care about the well being and safety of the children along with ensuring that they are getting the education they need and deserve. I would not hesitate to enroll kids here and would recommend it to anyone and have nothing but kind words about the school and staff!!! Love my Custer Family Close Quote

Schools Near Custer Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				WCAS Science (2025)		SBAC English Language Arts (2025)				SBAC Math (2025)				% Completely Immunized (2024)	% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Diphtheria (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% Pertussis (2024)	% Tetanus (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science All Grades	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Measles KG	% Mumps KG	% Rubella KG	% Diphtheria KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% Pertussis KG	% Tetanus KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Custer Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7801 Steilacoom Blvd SW	Lakewood	98498	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5230	358	21	17.0	74.0%	90 (25.1%)	54 (15.1%)	97 (27.1%)	15 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.3%)	68 (19.0%)	43.1	640^th of 1160 public elementary schools	44.8%		27.9	853^rd of 1168 public elementary schools	27.0%	213	59.3	59.3	35.0	38.7	70.4	45.9	45.0	25.8	44.4	38.8	86.9	90.2	88.5	88.5	88.5	88.5	91.8	88.5	88.5	88.5	$27,154	$1,819	$25,334
Oakbrook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7802 83rd AVE SW	Lakewood	98498	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 583-5330	285	19	14.8	61.8%	75 (26.3%)	51 (17.9%)	49 (17.2%)	20 (7.0%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (4.9%)	56 (19.6%)	32	802^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	30.9%		36.5	728^th of 1168 public elementary schools	37.7%	74	40.7	40.7	46.8	38.6	42.6	42.4	44.7	36.8	33.3	38.0	91.9	94.6	100.0	100.0	100.0	91.9	94.6	100.0	91.9	91.9	$21,566	$1,540	$20,026
Dower Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7817 Dower Rd West	Lakewood	98499	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5240	337	22	15.6	74.5%	56 (16.6%)	83 (24.6%)	87 (25.8%)	16 (4.7%)	3 (0.9%)	47 (13.9%)	40 (11.9%)	11.2	1073^rd of 1160 public elementary schools	7.5%		19.7	975^th of 1168 public elementary schools	16.5%	98	20.8	20.8	26.2	29.2	34.6	30.3	28.6	22.9	21.2	23.9	86.8	88.7	92.5	92.5	92.5	90.6	98.1	90.6	90.6	90.6	$24,921	$1,845	$23,076
Oak Grove	Public	K-6	8805 Steilacoom Blvd SW	Lakewood	98498	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 756-2522	11	3	3.4	27.3%	4 (36.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (45.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (18.2%)								(n/a)																					$21,360	$2,465	$18,894
Park Lodge Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6300 100th ST SW	Lakewood	98499	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5350	363	28	12.8	78.5%	36 (9.9%)	62 (17.1%)	183 (50.4%)	9 (2.5%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.0%)	32 (8.8%)	8.3	1110^th of 1160 public elementary schools	4.3%		12.6	1076^th of 1168 public elementary schools	7.9%	34	21.0	21.0	27.7	25.5	30.7	28.1	21.5	18.0	16.1	18.6	93.0	94.7	100.0	100.0	100.0	94.7	98.3	98.3	94.7	94.7	$22,719	$2,821	$19,898
Idlewild Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	10806 Idlewild Rd SW	Lakewood	98498	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	No	(253) 583-5290	380	25	15.0	51.6%	186 (48.9%)	44 (11.6%)	78 (20.5%)	14 (3.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	56 (14.7%)	26.5	877^th of 1160 public elementary schools	24.4%		20.4	963^rd of 1168 public elementary schools	17.6%	86	31.8	31.8	51.5	38.2	29.4	39.7	51.5	33.8	12.5	33.0	95.1	96.7	96.7	96.7	96.7	95.1	96.7	96.7	95.1	95.1	$20,801	$1,295	$19,506
Four Heroes Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9101 Lakewood Dr SW	Lakewood	98499	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5340	541	38	14.1	84.7%	62 (11.5%)	64 (11.8%)	302 (55.8%)	19 (3.5%)	2 (0.4%)	43 (7.9%)	45 (8.3%)	21	958^th of 1160 public elementary schools	17.4%		13.8	1056^th of 1168 public elementary schools	9.6%	98	21.8	21.8	45.8	34.4	37.6	38.7	41.1	26.4	23.0	29.2	93.3	96.6	96.6	96.6	96.6	94.4	96.6	96.6	94.4	94.4	$20,983	$2,570	$18,413
Chambers Elementary	Public	K-4	9101 56th Ave W	University Place	98467	Pierce County	University Place School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 566-5650	493	32	15.1	40.0%	224 (45.4%)	54 (11.0%)	88 (17.8%)	41 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	77 (15.6%)	85.5	161^st of 1160 public elementary schools	86.1%		83.7	180^th of 1168 public elementary schools	84.6%	19			60.2	72.3		66.5	69.9	80.4		75.4	96.6	97.8	97.8	97.8	97.8	96.6	98.9	97.8	96.6	96.6	$18,135	$713	$17,421
Lake Louise Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	11014 Holden Rd SW	Lakewood	98498	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5310	450	32	13.8	69.6%	121 (26.9%)	59 (13.1%)	136 (30.2%)	21 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.0%)	77 (17.1%)	32.3	792^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	31.7%		34.4	765^th of 1168 public elementary schools	34.5%	27	38.8	38.8	24.0	48.7	49.4	40.9	40.0	39.2	40.0	39.7	86.1	89.5	93.0	93.0	93.0	89.5	88.4	90.7	88.4	89.5	$20,561	$1,797	$18,764
Lakeview Hope Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	10501 47th AVE SW	Lakewood	98499	Pierce County	Clover Park School District	No	No	No	Yes	(253) 583-5320	540	39	13.8	84.1%	59 (10.9%)	52 (9.6%)	271 (50.2%)	24 (4.4%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (8.9%)	50 (9.3%)	12.9	1051^st of 1160 public elementary schools	9.4%		10.2	1096^th of 1168 public elementary schools	6.2%	45	30.1	30.1	22.1	24.7	41.8	30.6	27.3	15.1	27.2	23.3	89.7	95.9	94.9	94.9	94.9	90.7	95.9	94.9	90.7	90.7	$22,791	$2,358	$20,433

Frequently Asked Questions about Custer Elementary School

How many students attend Custer Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 358 students attended Custer Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Custer Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Custer Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hudtloff Middle School
High : General William H. Harrison Preparatory School
High : Lakes High School

What is the racial makeup of Custer Elementary School?

Students at Custer Elementary School are 27% Hispanic, 25% White, 19% Two or more races, 15% African American, 5% Pacific Islander, 4% Asian, 4% Not Specified.

Is Custer Elementary School a good school?

Custer Elementary School ranks 640^th of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Custer Elementary School in?

Clover Park School District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction.

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.