District overview
At a glance
Source years shown below
Reported students
887
NCES CCD 2024–25, where reported
Open schools
5
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Student–teacher ratio
11.8:1
Calculated from NCES 2024–25 enrollment and teacher FTE
Spending per pupil
$14,663
Current expenditure · FY 2023 F-33
Instruction per pupil
$8,005
Calculated from FY 2023 F-33
Grades served
PK–12
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
District interpretation
What the numbers say about Custer School District 16-1
Custer School District 16-1 operates 5 current public-school records serving grades PK–12 in Custer, South Dakota. NCES reports 887 students and 75.27 classroom teacher FTE for 2024–25.
By reported enrollment, the district ranks 31 of 154 South Dakota districts with data. That position describes scale only—it does not say whether individual schools are a good fit for a particular student.
FY 2023 finance records show $14,663 in current expenditure per pupil and $8,005 per pupil assigned to instruction. This places reported current spending 48 of 146 districts in South Dakota. Local wages, transportation, special education, facilities, and district responsibilities all affect this comparison.
Student context
Needs schools plan for
- English learners
- 0.7%
- Students with disabilities (IDEA)
- 13.7%
- Classroom teachers (FTE)
- 75.27
- Current expenditure (FY 2023)
- $13,358,000
Context measures describe who a district serves and its resources. They are not negative rating inputs.
Custer School District 16-1 location
Custer, South Dakota · 43.7702, -103.6017. This is the NCES EDGE district-office point, not an attendance boundary.
Open exact point in OpenStreetMap →Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White85.9%
- Hispanic6.7%
- Black0.1%
- Asian0.5%
- American Indian / Alaska Native2.6%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial4.3%
Race/ethnicity: NCES CCD 2024–25 where reported, otherwise CRDC 2021–22. English learner and disability context: CRDC 2021–22. Totals can differ due to rounding or source privacy rules.
Interactive campus directory
Explore schools in Custer School District 16-1
5 current directory entries
Filter by school level or name, then sort by enrollment or reported student–teacher ratio.
Showing 5 of 5 schools
| School | Level | Grades | Students | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer Elementary - 02 | Elementary | PK–06 | 269 | 10.3:1 |
| Custer High School - 01 | High | 09–12 | 272 | 13.7:1 |
| Custer Jr. High - 05 | Middle | 07–08 | 101 | 13.4:1 |
| Hermosa Elementary - 04 | Elementary | PK–06 | 181 | 11.6:1 |
| Hermosa Middle School - 07 | Middle | 07–08 | 48 | 9:1 |