Custer School District 16-1
Public school district · Custer County · South Dakota · NCES district ID 4616950
Custer School District 16-1 spent $14,663 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 62% of the other South Dakota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $13,524). Its 4 schools enrolled 823 students in 2024-25; 1.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,511 per student, up 12.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90-94% (South Dakota: 84%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among South Dakota districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Custer School District 16-1 in enrollment (814 to 1,033 students) and Custer School District 16-1 itself.
Where the money came from
$16,727,000 in revenue: 1.8% state, 82.8% local and 15.4% federal. Total spending including $574,000 of capital outlay was $14,504,000, or $15,921 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$305,000 2%
- Local$13,849,000 83%
- Federal$2,573,000 15%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 125 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
911 students in 2022-23, 833 students in 2023-24, 823 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 911 | 77.6 | 11.7 |
| 2023-24 | 833 | 69.4 | 12.0 |
| 2024-25 | 823 | 68.9 | 11.9 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$3,802,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,173 per student
Custer School District 16-1 booked $3,802,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 78 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $48,976 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 44 in 100 South Dakota districts with a figure (state median $49,840, 141 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average South Dakota teacher salary at $49,761 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $2,855,000 | 75.1% |
| Special education | $572,000 | 15.0% |
| Vocational | $149,000 | 3.9% |
| Other programs | $226,000 | 5.9% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,258 in 2018-19, $3,390 in 2019-20, $3,667 in 2020-21, $3,608 in 2021-22, $4,173 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Custer School District 16-1 scored proficient or above: 51% in reading and 41% in math, against 51% in reading and 42.2% in math across South Dakota. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within South Dakota, not across states.
| Subject | This district | South Dakota | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 51% | 51% | 487 |
| Math | 41% | 42.2% | 486 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
90-94% of the 76 students in Custer School District 16-1's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84% across South Dakota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | South Dakota | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 90‑94% | 84% |
| Students in the class | 76 | 9,963 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
2 elementary schools, 450 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer Elementary - 02 | 269 | 10.3 | 23.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Hermosa Elementary - 04 | 181 | 11.6 | 21.0% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 101 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer Jr. High - 05 | 101 | 13.4 | 18.8% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 high school, 272 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer High School - 01 | 272 | 13.7 | 18.4% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Custer School District 16-1
- Website: csd.k12.sd.us
- Phone: (605) 673-3154
- Office: 527 Montgomery St, Custer, SD 57730
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Custer School District 16-1
- South Dakota districts by spending per studentCuster School District 16-1 ranks 48 of 125 South Dakota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,663).#48 of 125
- Every school district in South DakotaCuster School District 16-1 is the number 28 by size of 150 South Dakota districts, with 911 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#28 of 150
- Tri-Valley School District 49-6The next larger South Dakota district: 945 students in fall 2022, $12,004 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,004
- Wagner Community School District 11-4The next smaller South Dakota district: 905 students in fall 2022, $15,825 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,825
- Compare Custer School District 16-1 with Tri-Valley School District 49-6Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Custer High School - 01, its largest high school272 students in 2024-25, 13.7 per teacher.272
- Teacher salary spending across South DakotaCuster School District 16-1 spent $48,976 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $49,840); spending, not a salary.$48,976
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Custer School District 16-1
How many schools and students are in Custer School District 16-1?
4 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 823 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Custer School District 16-1 spend per student?
$14,663 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the South Dakota median for districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,524 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,511 per student, up 12.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Custer School District 16-1's money come from?
$16,727,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 1.8% state, 82.8% local and 15.4% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Custer School District 16-1 live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 90 of the 948 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 9.5%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Custer School District 16-1 spend on teacher salaries?
$3,802,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,173 per student. Divided by the 78 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $48,976 per teacher, more than 44 in 100 South Dakota districts (state median $49,840). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average South Dakota teacher salary at $49,761 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Custer School District 16-1 do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Custer School District 16-1 scored proficient or above: 51% in reading and 41% in math, against 51% in reading and 42.2% in math across South Dakota. South Dakota's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Custer School District 16-1?
90-94% of the 76 students in Custer School District 16-1's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84% across South Dakota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Custer School District 16-1's NCES district ID?
4616950. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25