About Custer County Schools Quick Links
About Custer County Schools
Superintendent's Message
Custer County Parents, Community, Business Partners and Post-Secondary Partners,
After 34 years in public education, I retired in 2022. My retirement was never intended to be permanent. I knew I would be back. I just didn’t know when or where. Custer County is that place, and the time is now. I enjoyed my time as a retired administrator, but I missed the rush of working with dedicated people doing meaningful work. I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of this team, in this place, at this time, working for and with the students, staff, and community to prepare our students for life beyond graduation.
My experience has been in small rural schools. Within that niche, I have been successful as a superintendent in two districts. Small Schools require that people wear many hats. While it can be challenging at times, it is an aspect that I enjoy. I am familiar with all aspects of small school education. As a teacher, I taught classes ranging from 7th-grade Life Science to Dual Credit Psychology. I have been a coach, athletic director, principal, and, most recently, superintendent. I have experience in food service, transportation, Title programs, school law, budgeting, and many other areas. In Swink, I helped apply for and manage a Best grant for a new roof and HVAC. I applied for and won another BEST grant to update the school's fire alarm and other systems, but retired before the project began. If CDE has a title or an acronym for it, I have probably been that person. DAC, LAM, Homeless Liaison; there is no aspect of education in a small school that I do not have experience with.
Successful small school educators have the mindset that being in a small school is not just a job, it is a way of life. For those who understand and adopt that mindset, the work can be very rewarding. Being a successful small school administrator means modeling that “way of life” approach. When everyone feels they are part of a team working in the service of something important, good things tend to happen. I have had the good fortune to lead districts that have won multiple ESSA Distinguished School awards; one at Walsh and two at Swink, including a National Blue Ribbon School award at Swink. In addition, in both districts, we earned multiple John Irwin School of Excellence awards. I know what excellence looks like and how to build an environment that promotes it.
My “hat” collection isn’t limited to education. While working my way through school, I drilled for oil, cut wheat, built bridges, built miles of 4-wire fence, and worked at jobs too numerous to mention. I look forward to putting my eclectic collection of hats to work for the students of the Custer County School District.
Kyle Hebberd
Interim Superintendent
Custer County School District
Our Vision & Mission
Vision - The vision is to provide a quality education in a safe environment.
Mission - The mission is to prepare students for life beyond graduation.
Our History
History of Custer County Schools
Early education was tended to in a church in the Colfax colony and a log cabin four miles southwest of Silver Cliff. As the county grew, so did the demand for education and in the fall of 1879 the first school districts were formed. It was decided that schools should be no more than five miles apart so that each child had a school within walking distance. This resulted in twenty-four one room schools and two classrooms in private homes. The teachers recruited for these positions were required to be single and signed contracts stating that they would resign if they married. They were paid little, but often received room and board from the locals as an incentive. Morning started an hour before students arrived with the building of a wood fire and the raising of an American flag. All ages learned together, with older ones helping the youngsters. At the end of the day, the teacher would clean the school house, bring in firewood for the next day and check the chimney to make sure it was not clogged with soot.
As mines closed and the depression reached the valley, the population dwindled. World War II created a shortage of teachers as they left to work in aviation and munitions factories. Emergency teaching certificates were issued to ranch wives and young mothers, but the era of the one room schoolhouse was coming to an end.
Westcliffe School
304 4th St.
Built in 1891 of local fieldstone, this rural schoolhouse functioned as a school until 1953. The building has an unusual flat topped gable roof. The building is now in use as a community center and museum.
Willows School
Willow Ln. between Muddy Ln. and Schoolfield Ln.
This simple 1889 wood frame rural schoolhouse closed due to a school consolidation in 1948, but it continues to function as a community center.
Custer County
Custer County School District is nestled between the Wet Mountains and Sangre de Cristo Mountains of south central Colorado. It includes the neighboring towns of Silver Cliff and Westcliffe, with a countywide population of 4,237.
For scenic beauty, it is unsurpassed. On the west side lie the Sangres with over 25 peaks of 13,000 feet or higher. On the east side are the Wet Mountains – rugged and rolling foothills covered in evergreen trees. In between lies the Wet Mountain Valley, home of a 140-year-old ranching and mining legacy. The valley enjoys 320 days of sunshine each year, with an average summer high of 82 and an average winter high of 40. Custer County’s greatest asset is its people, a multifaceted community known for its friendly, caring atmosphere. A mix of fourth-generation ranchers, longtime locals and new residents, Custer County is filled with citizens with a strong sense of community who understand the importance of volunteerism.
Recreation in Custer County includes hiking, fishing, backpacking, hunting and horseback riding, to name a few. Our residents and visitors enjoy the arts including several music festivals, visual arts events and a theater that hosts regional and national talents.
Local services in Custer County have grown to meet expanding needs. These include a community library, an exceptional volunteer fire department, EMS Services, Sheriff’s Posse, an assisted living center and medical clinic. These services, more than 10 churches, and several restaurants and motels, make Custer County a great place to live.
To learn more about the community of Custer County, navigate to the following buttons.
