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C+

Custer County School District C-1

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 2 towns

Serves Silver Cliff and Westcliffe.

Silver Cliff’s Schools page →

Students
313
Schools
3
Spent per student
$15,890
CO $15,889
Students per teacher
11:1
Free or reduced lunch
50%
Debt
$5.1M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Custer County School District C-1

  • Its letter, C+: results better than 40% of Colorado districts
  • Math proficiency 10 pts below the state
  • Reading proficiency 8 pts below the state
  • Graduation rate 7 pts above the state
  • 11 students per teacher
  • Enrollment down 8.7% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $5.1M, about $16,438 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

C+: better than 40% of the 169 Colorado school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math well below the state, 2021–22
C+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
Silver Cliff 713Westcliffe 488

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Silver Cliff. Grade by grade →

PK–5Custer County Elementary SchoolThis district
6–8Custer Middle SchoolThis district
9–12Custer County High SchoolThis district

Test scores vs. CO

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency20–24%
State average 31.8% · 173 students tested
Reading / language arts35–39%
State average 44.9% · 173 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)80–100%
State average 82.7% · 20 in the class · small group: the state reports a range

98% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$15,890 per student · 0% above CO
Spending
Classroom instruction 51%Support & administration 45%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 78%State 13%Federal 10%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
343’20
361’21
354’22
345’23
313’24

Down 8.7% since 2020–21.

Students
White 82%Hispanic 10%Two or more races 6%Black 1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Asian <1%

Schools in the district

3 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Colorado’s other public schools.

Custer County Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–5 · Westcliffe
B−
146 students10:1
Custer Middle School
Middle · Grades 6–8 · Westcliffe
B−
69 students10:1
Custer County High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Westcliffe
A
98 students13:1

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Colorado.