Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Washington rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Custer Elementary

Q: Is Custer Elementary a good school?

Custer Elementary ranks 646 th of 1138 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

646^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,138 Washington Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of Washington elementary schools

Summary

Custer Elementary is a public K–5 school in Custer, Washington, serving 392 students in the moderately high-need Ferndale School District. The school has a 17.3 student-teacher ratio, and 54.34% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Its latest statewide ranking places it at the 43rd percentile, or 646th among 1,138 Washington schools.

Custer’s strongest recent results are in science and mathematics. In 2025–26, 64.81% of students were proficient in science—the highest result among nearby Ferndale schools and well above the district’s 47.55% and the state’s 50.95%. Mathematics proficiency was 43.89%, slightly above the state and well above the district, ranking behind only Central Elementary among nearby Ferndale schools. Custer’s fourth-grade math result was particularly strong at 54.10%. By comparison, Custer exceeded Cascadia Elementary and Eagleridge Elementary in all three tested subjects, with especially large advantages in math and science.

English Language Arts is the clearest academic challenge: Custer’s 38.89% proficiency rate was below the district’s 42.92% and the state’s 52.81%, with fourth-grade ELA particularly weak at 32.79%. ELA has declined since 2023–24, while science has rebounded sharply to its best result in the four-year series. Central remains the stronger overall nearby comparison, ranking at the 56th percentile versus Custer’s 43rd, although Custer had better science results. The low-SES subgroup’s 21st-percentile effectiveness ranking is another important concern, especially because more than half of students qualify for subsidized meals. Overall, Custer appears to offer solid science and comparatively good math, but parents may want to ask how the school is addressing ELA consistency and outcomes for economically disadvantaged students.

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: Declining — 48th percentile in 2016 → 43rd in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

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

!English Language Arts scores 14 pts below the Washington average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg41%

Washington avg48%

646^th of 1,138

Washington public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 48% (2016) to bottom 43% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Washington Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Elementary Schools in the Ferndale School District

156^th of 238Ferndale 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
2026	42.4	646 of 1138	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	48.1	546 of 1020	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	55.8	256 of 649	60.6%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	28.0	799 of 1008	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	43.3	614 of 1059	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	40.9	565 of 901	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
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)

Hispanic (2026)61st percentile+17 vs school

Female (2026)46th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)42nd percentile~ school

White (2026)37th percentile-6 vs school

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)21st percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Washington (2025-2026) ?

Science65%+14 vs state

Math44%~ state avg

English Language Arts39%-14 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Custer Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Custer Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Custer Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				WCAS Science (2026)			SBAC English Language Arts (2026)							SBAC Math (2026)							% 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 (2025)	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	WCAS Science 5th Grade	WCAS Science 8th 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 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts All Grades	SBAC Math 3rd Grade	SBAC Math 4th Grade	SBAC Math 5th Grade	SBAC Math 6th Grade	SBAC Math 7th Grade	SBAC Math 8th 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%)	42.4	646^th of 1138 public elementary schools	43.2%		37.4	712^th of 1160 public elementary schools	38.6%	66	64.8		64.8	36.9	32.8	48.2				38.9	36.9	54.1	40.7				43.9	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%)	29.4	801^st of 1138 public elementary schools	29.6%		22.8	935^th of 1160 public elementary schools	19.4%	134	52.9		52.9	36.8	27.0	44.1				36.2	32.4	26.6	40.6				33.3	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%)	14.7	967^th of 1138 public elementary schools	15.0%		25.7	892^nd of 1160 public elementary schools	23.1%	75	35.9		35.9	20.3	27.3	41.0				29.8	23.2	27.6	22.1				24.5	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%)	42.5	645^th of 1138 public elementary schools	43.3%		35.1	748^th of 1160 public elementary schools	35.5%	103	59.6		59.6	44.1	35.2	48.3				42.5	48.4	38.5	39.3				42.1	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%)	53.5	500^th of 1138 public elementary schools	56.1%		40.1	680^th of 1160 public elementary schools	41.4%	180	60.0		60.0	48.4	41.4	54.0				47.5	64.5	43.1	46.0				48.9	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%)								(n/a)	44.3		44.3	30.8	42.9	31.0				35.3	39.2	42.2	26.8				35.8											$17,336	$620	$16,716
Blaine HomeConnection	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)			30.8							34.5							20.7											$12,505	$186	$12,319
Meridian Parent Partnership Program	Public	K-8	240 W Laurel Rd	Bellingham	98226	Whatcom County	Meridian School District	No	No	No	No	(360) 398-9324	208	8	26.3	24.5%	178 (85.6%)	1 (0.5%)	11 (5.3%)	2 (1.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (6.7%)	58.1	449^th of 1138 public elementary schools	60.5%		55.5	491^st of 1160 public elementary schools	57.7%	42				59.1	55.6		57.7			67.4	50.0	48.2	47.4	26.9	40.0	43.8	42.2	68.0	76.0	84.0	84.0	84.0	76.0	80.0	72.0	76.0	76.0	$11,592	$78	$11,515

Frequently Asked Questions about Custer Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Custer Elementary?

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

What district is Custer Elementary in?

Ferndale School District

Is Custer Elementary a good school?

Custer Elementary ranks 646^th of 1138 Washington elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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

How many students attend Custer Elementary?

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

Rate Custer Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

WAWashington Elementary School Rankings

WAWashington District Rankings

Schools in Custer, WA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Custer Elementary!

Latest Washington data All new data »

2025–26 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesJan 8, 2026

2022–23 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 6, 2026

2024–25 SBAC & WCAS test scoresSep 10, 2025

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.