Summary:
ZIP code 98240 has one listed public school, Custer Elementary, serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the Ferndale School District; the area does not have a listed middle school, high school, or alternative school. The school enrolls 392 students and has a 17.3-to-1 student-teacher ratio. More than half of students, 54.34%, qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–2025, an important context for understanding the school’s academic results and support needs.
Custer Elementary shows its clearest strength in science. In 2025–2026, 64.81% of students were proficient in science, compared with 47.55% in the Ferndale School District and 50.95% statewide. Science proficiency also increased by 16.48 percentage points from the previous year. Math was another relative strength: overall proficiency was 43.89%, slightly above the statewide 43.11% and well above the district’s 35.55%. Grade 4 math was especially strong at 54.10%, exceeding both district and state results.
English Language Arts is the main area needing attention. Overall ELA proficiency at Custer Elementary was 38.89%, below both the district at 42.92% and the state at 52.81%. Grade 4 ELA was the weakest listed result, with 32.79% proficiency, 17.64 percentage points below the state. The school’s ranking improved from the 39th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 43rd percentile in 2025–2026, though it remained below its 55th-percentile standing in 2023–2024. Overall, families should expect a school with notable science success, generally solid math compared with its district, and a particular need for stronger literacy outcomes.
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