Enrollment
69
Colorado · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Westcliffe, CO
Custer Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Custer Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 080720001732
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Custer Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Colorado schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Westcliffe · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.5:1
- small classes for Colorado
- 28.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Custer Middle School has class sizes smaller than 86% of Colorado schools. Computed live against every Colorado school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Custer Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Westcliffe, CO.
School address
District: Custer County School District Consolidate 1 · Colorado
NCES ID 080720001732 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 16.6:1 Colorado avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.0%
vs 38.5% Colorado avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Custer Middle School compares with Colorado and U.S. medians
What stands out at Custer Middle School
Custer Middle School is a small middle school in Westcliffe, Colorado, enrolling 69 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.5:1, Custer Middle School is leaner than roughly 86% of Colorado schools and 31% under the state's 16.6:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 28.0% lands close to the Colorado typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of Colorado schools, with 69 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,922 scored Colorado schools.
Against 54 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #37.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 36/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Custer County School District Consolidate 1 also operates Custer County Elementary School (146 students) and Custer County High School (98 students) alongside Custer Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Custer Middle School compares
Custer Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Colorado and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Colorado | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.5:1 | ▼ 31% | 16.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.0% | ▼ 27% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 69 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
69
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the Colorado average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 14% in Colorado - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,864
per pupil, district-wide
- below Colorado avg of $16,273
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 78.3%
Hispanic or Latino 15.9%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 1.4%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: White at 78.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.0, Custer Middle School is less mixed than the Colorado school average of 47.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Custer County School District Consolidate 1, which includes Custer Middle School.
$13,864
Per student
-15%
vs Colorado
Avg $16,273
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 65.9%
State 17.4%
Federal 16.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Custer Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custer County Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Custer County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Custer Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 146
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 98
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Colorado, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~69 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Custer Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Custer Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Custer County School District Consolidate 1's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Custer Middle School
How many students attend Custer Middle School?
Custer Middle School has 69 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Westcliffe, CO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Custer Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Custer Middle School is 11.5:1, which is 31% lower than the Colorado average of 16.6:1 and 27% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Custer Middle School?
28.0% of students at Custer Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Colorado average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Custer Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Custer Middle School is White at 78.3% of enrollment, in Westcliffe, CO.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Custer Middle School?
Custer Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Custer Middle School rank among public schools in Westcliffe?
By Resource Investment Index, Custer Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Westcliffe, CO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Westcliffe on the city page.
Is Custer Middle School a good school?
Custer Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Colorado schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Custer County School District Consolidate 1?
Besides Custer Middle School, Custer County School District Consolidate 1 also operates Custer County Elementary School (146 students) and Custer County High School (98 students). See the Custer County School District Consolidate 1 district page for the complete list.
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Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.