Custer School District 16-1 operates 4 public schools serving 911 students, placing it among the smaller districts in South Dakota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 823 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Custer County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,373 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 77.4% local, 2.4% state, and 20.2% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $75,146 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 63/100, ranked #31 of 121 in South Dakota against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 172.1:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 15.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 86.8% White, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% Asian across the district's schools.
Custer High School - 01 accounts for 33.0% of all Custer School District 16-1 student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Custer School District 16-1-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Custer School District 16-1 school enrollment varies 2.7× across entities
Custer School District 16-1 school enrollment ranges from 101 students (lowest) to 272 students (highest), a spread of 171 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Custer School District 16-1 student-counselor ratio is 172:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Custer School District 16-1 chronic absenteeism rate is 15.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Custer School District 16-1 is typically wider than the Custer School District 16-1-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Custer School District 16-1?
Custer School District 16-1 has 4 schools, including 1 high, 2 elementary, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 911 students.
How much does Custer School District 16-1 spend per student?
Custer School District 16-1 spends $20,373 per student. The district has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #31 in South Dakota.
What is the average teacher salary in Custer School District 16-1?
The average teacher salary in Custer School District 16-1 is $75,146 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Custer School District 16-1?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Custer County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Custer School District 16-1?
Custer School District 16-1 students are 86.8% White, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Custer School District 16-1?
Custer School District 16-1 has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #31 out of 121 districts in South Dakota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.