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Students/Parents

Custer County School District serves students from Preschool through 12th Grade. The district boasts highly qualified teachers in every core subject. Three teachers are certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Included in the staff members are a full-time School Resource Officer, an Information Technology Coordinator, and a Gifted & Talented Coordinator. We have an Elementary Counselor, a Secondary Counselor, and a Librarian. A Healthy Living Grant Coordinator and a Volunteer Coordinator add to the diverse and unique opportunities our student body has available to them to bolster educating the whole child. 

The district also works closely with Custer County Kids Council, Excellence in Education, the Education Legacy Fund, Rebecca's Fund, and other non-profits who participate in the Wet Mountain Valley Community Foundation.

Information about the district’s test scores can be found at Colorado Department of Education.

Points of Pride

  • The Custer County School District offers many academic opportunities, including Advanced Placement courses, online courses, partnerships with colleges for credit, and numerous electives.

  • The School boasts multiple Boettcher, Daniels, and Hurliman scholarship winners.

  • State recognition for students in Choir, FFA, athletics, and other extra-curricular activities.

Sydney Benesch

PreK-5th Grade Principal Message

Welcome to Custer County Schools! 

We are off to a great start for the 2025-2026 school year! 

I am honored to be the Elementary Principal this year. Before pursuing administration, I was an elementary teacher for seven years. I grew up in Westcliffe, and attended Custer County Schools from preschool through 12th grade. Much of my family still lives here, and the valley holds a special place in my heart. 

Each student who walks through our school doors is an individual, bringing unique strengths and needs to go to school every day. It is important that our students are connected to school through positive relationships and a strong sense of community. I believe that every student can learn and be successful if provided the right support and opportunities. Our teachers and staff are committed to providing all students with an appropriate and challenging educational experience in a respectful environment that fosters learning and achievement. 

Families and community members play a critical role as partners in supporting our students both at home and in school. I look forward to continuing to build positive relationships with parents and community members. I encourage family and community members to get involved with our staff and students through school activities and volunteer opportunities. 

Custer County Schools is a wonderful, engaging learning community, and I feel privileged to be a part of the Bobcat Family. We appreciate the trust you show in us by sending your children here every day. It’s going to be a great year! 

Cordially, 

Sydney Benesch, PreK-5th Grade Principal, (719) 783-4894, sydney.benesch@ccbobcats.net

Ren

6th-12th Grade Secondary Principal Message

Dear Students and Parents - 

Thank you to everyone for such a warm Custer County welcome as I join Team Bobcat! I want to extend that same warm welcome to each of you, new and returning students and families alike. I have spent four-plus decades in education, my heart’s work, and I am as excited for this year as for every other preceding year. I was a classroom teacher for almost 20 years, a district instructional coach for 15 years, and an administrator for 11 years. I raised my family in the mountains of what used to be a small town on the western slope of Colorado, and 35 years of my educational career have been in rural Colorado. My sons have given Westcliffe a big thumbs-up, saying it feels like home, and they can see why I chose to hang my hat here. Please come by and say hi when you are in the building to help me put faces with names.

It has been a joy getting to know our fabulous, high quality teachers and staff. We are all dedicated to creating an engaging and challenging educational environment—one that respects each learner and promotes both rigorous academic growth and personal achievement. Every student who enters our school brings their own strengths, needs, and experiences. We recognize and value these differences, and we will work to ensure each child feels connected to our school through meaningful relationships and a strong sense of belonging. I know all students have the capacity to learn and succeed when given the right support and opportunities because I have seen it over and over again.

Our kids thrive - with higher grades, greater engagement, and maintaining a more positive outlook on learning - when we team together to actively support them. They are developing more independence, and they need that on their way to adulthood, but they still need us, just differently than they did when they were younger. I invite every family and community member to join us—whether through school events, volunteer opportunities, or simply by sharing your ideas and perspectives. It’s one of the best things about living in a small town, that team spirit. 

I believe in the power of collaboration and communication. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. We create a positive and enriching learning experience for all our students when we work together on their behalf.  

Very ready to meet our students and get this year started,

Ren Olson

Secondary School Principal