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Custer Elementary

Q: Is Custer Elementary a good school?

Custer Elementary ranks 712 th of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

712^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,160 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Custer Elementary is a public K-5 school serving 392 students in the Ferndale School District, which serves the Custer, WA area.

The school presents a mixed academic picture, with a notable strength in mathematics where its proficiency rate (43.6%) exceeds both the district and state averages. However, its performance in English Language Arts (40.23%) lags behind these benchmarks. The school's statewide ranking has been quite volatile over the years, recently dropping from the 55th to the 39th percentile. There are also significant performance disparities among different student groups, with recent sharp declines noted for students from low-income families. This trend coincides with a notable increase in the student-teacher ratio, from 13.2 to 17.3, despite the school having the highest per-student spending among comparable elementary schools in its district.

When compared to nearby schools, Custer Elementary holds its own in certain areas. Within the Ferndale School District, it ranks second in math proficiency among five similar schools, outperforming Central Elementary, Cascadia Elementary, and Eagleridge Elementary in that subject. Its performance is similar to Skyline Elementary School, though each school has different subject strengths. Looking outside the district, Custer's math performance is comparable to the Meridian Parent Partnership Program but stronger than schools in the Blaine School District like Blaine Elementary School.

392

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,787

Per pupil spending ?

54.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7660 Custer School Road
Custer, WA 98240-0125

(360) 383-9500

District: Ferndale School District

Students who attend Custer Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Horizon Middle School
High:	Ferndale High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.6%

Hispanic:

26.0%

Two or more races:

2.8%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Custer Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 37th percentile in 2013 → 39th in 2025

Worth a look

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

!English Language Arts scores 13 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school44%

District avg43%

Washington avg48%

712^th of 1,160

Washington public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 48% (2016) to bottom 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5Elementary Schools in the Ferndale School District

168^th of 247Ferndale 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	37.4	712 of 1160	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.5	526 of 1168	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.0	578 of 1169	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.4	626 of 1169	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.8	482 of 1107	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.1	719 of 1130	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.0	749 of 1054	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	56.9	461 of 1056	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.2	544 of 1053	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.2	699 of 1106	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	33.3	807 of 1097	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	47.1	603 of 1092	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	48.9	581 of 1088	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2009	52.2	518 of 1072	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	51.1	556 of 1067	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2007	51.1	544 of 1069	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2006	54.8	488 of 1051	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2005	42.1	647 of 1031	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2004	28.4	784 of 1026	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	33.3	740 of 1092	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	513 of 1093	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.7	641 of 1094	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.8	591 of 1100	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	54.5	419 of 1008	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.9	570 of 1068	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.2	360 of 1004	64.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	24.6	543 of 659	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.9	414 of 651	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.4	253 of 633	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.7	317 of 694	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.8	70 of 501	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	52.5	309 of 697	55.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	26.4	817 of 1013	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	49.5	512 of 1024	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.7	445 of 1013	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.3	513 of 1019	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	74.0	131 of 854	84.7%	★★★★☆
2019	42.8	591 of 979	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.2	569 of 835	31.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	42.2	632 of 1098	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.7	493 of 1099	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.5	440 of 1099	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.7	575 of 1113	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.3	489 of 1025	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	30.5	780 of 1075	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2022	33.9	323 of 478	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	31.8	392 of 566	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	18.4	589 of 637	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Washington percentile	Rating
2025	31.0	738 of 1007	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.4	557 of 1009	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.0	688 of 1011	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.9	689 of 1031	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.1	520 of 943	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.9	785 of 1027	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.1	653 of 833	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)42nd percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2022)32nd percentile-14 vs school

Female (2025)32nd percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)27th percentile-12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)19th percentile-19 vs school

Hispanic (2025)18th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2024-2025) ?

Science48%~ state avg

Math44%~ state avg

English Language Arts40%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Custer Elementary

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	Public	K-5	7660 Custer School Road	Custer	98240	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-9500	392	23	17.3	54.3%	273 (69.6%)	1 (0.3%)	102 (26.0%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.8%)	37.4	712^th of 1160 public elementary schools	38.6%		52.5	526^th of 1168 public elementary schools	55.0%	186	48.3	48.3	34.4	49.1	38.3	40.2	47.5	49.1	35.0	43.6	78.0	84.8	84.8	84.8	84.8	84.8	88.1	83.1	83.1	84.8	$20,787	$860	$19,926
Cascadia Elementary	Public	K-5	6175 Church Rd	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-2300	440	29	15.3	59.3%	196 (44.5%)	9 (2.0%)	152 (34.5%)	41 (9.3%)	6 (1.4%)	5 (1.1%)	29 (6.6%)	22.8	935^th of 1160 public elementary schools	19.4%		34.9	755^th of 1168 public elementary schools	35.4%	180	40.7	40.7	24.6	31.1	39.0	31.4	27.9	39.2	39.0	35.6	86.3	88.8	90.0	90.0	90.0	90.0	91.3	88.8	90.0	90.0	$22,167	$1,253	$20,914
Eagleridge Elementary	Public	K-5	2651 Thornton Road	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-9700	457	27	17.0	58.6%	225 (49.2%)	6 (1.3%)	84 (18.4%)	20 (4.4%)	80 (17.5%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (9.0%)	25.7	892^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	23.1%		22.4	934^th of 1168 public elementary schools	20.0%	42	44.1	44.1	34.1	37.5	45.6	38.6	30.7	38.0	27.9	32.3	90.6	90.6	92.2	92.2	92.2	92.2	92.2	90.6	92.2	92.2	$18,791	$756	$18,035
Skyline Elementary School	Public	K-5	2225 Thornton Road	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-9450	496	28	17.7	56.5%	223 (45.0%)	5 (1.0%)	123 (24.8%)	45 (9.1%)	56 (11.3%)	5 (1.0%)	39 (7.9%)	35.1	748^th of 1160 public elementary schools	35.5%		44.3	629^th of 1168 public elementary schools	46.1%	119	47.4	47.4	36.1	46.0	43.4	41.8	40.7	40.2	40.8	40.6	91.0	94.0	94.0	94.0	94.0	92.5	92.5	92.5	92.5	92.5	$18,724	$722	$18,001
Mountain View Elementary	Public	PK, KG-8	5780 Hendrickson Rd	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(360) 383-9289	101	11	9.4	61.4%	61 (60.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (18.8%)	4 (4.0%)	4 (4.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (12.9%)								(n/a)																					$5,532	$444	$5,088
Central Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	5610 Second Avenue	Ferndale	98248	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-9600	315	18	17.4	65.1%	184 (58.4%)	5 (1.6%)	77 (24.4%)	18 (5.7%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.2%)	40.1	680^th of 1160 public elementary schools	41.4%		33.6	776^th of 1168 public elementary schools	33.6%	96	46.9	46.9	38.0	61.9	43.8	46.8	34.0	54.8	31.3	38.5	73.1	75.0	78.9	78.9	78.9	73.1	80.8	76.9	73.1	73.1	$19,875	$1,337	$18,538
Blaine Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	820 Boblett St	Blaine	98230	Whatcom County	Blaine School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 332-1300	419	25	16.6	45.8%	260 (62.1%)	3 (0.7%)	83 (19.8%)	27 (6.4%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (6.7%)								(n/a)											94.7	97.7	97.0	97.0	97.0	97.0	97.0	96.2	97.0	97.0	$21,025	$1,149	$19,876
Blaine Elementary School	Public	3-5	836 Mitchell Ave	Blaine	98230	Whatcom County	Blaine School District	No	No	No	Yes	(360) 332-5213	469	24	19.7	47.1%	300 (64.0%)	0 (0.0%)	91 (19.4%)	21 (4.5%)	4 (0.9%)	6 (1.3%)	35 (7.5%)	28	852^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	26.6%		28.5	843^rd of 1168 public elementary schools	27.8%	9	43.4	43.4	39.0	36.3	34.1	36.6	49.1	34.8	29.9	38.3											$17,336	$620	$16,716
Blaine Home Connection	Public	K-8	580 C Street	Blaine	98230	Whatcom County	Blaine School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 332-5881	39	1	32.5	43.6%	30 (76.9%)	1 (2.6%)	1 (2.6%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (10.3%)								(n/a)						41.4				27.6											$12,505	$186	$12,319
North Bell Learning Center	Public	PK-K	5275 Northwest Drive	Bellingham	98226	Whatcom County	Ferndale School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 383-9289	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Custer Elementary

What district is Custer Elementary in?

Ferndale School District

What schools do graduates of Custer Elementary attend?

Students who attend Custer Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Horizon Middle School
High : Ferndale High School

Is Custer Elementary a good school?

Custer Elementary ranks 712^th of 1160 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Custer Elementary?

Students at Custer Elementary are 70% White, 26% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend Custer Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 392 students attended Custer Elementary.

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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.