The Custer Elementary School, on the south side of Broken Bow was erected in 1938, and students walked through its sturdy doors until May of 2021. In August of 2021, a preschool that was the last class held at the school, moved into a new space at North Park Elementary. The halls have been silent since then and the school building’s destiny has been unsure to say the least.
On July 18, 2022, the Broken Bow Police Department was called to Custer School for a report of a breaking and entering and vandalism. The total damages were estimated at nearly $40,000.
On October 19, 2022, the Broken Bow Public Schools sold the school building to the Custer County Economic Corporation (CEDC) unanimously accepting their $20,000 asbestos abatement bid. The CEDC hoped to turn the building into a daycare, but following studies and consideration of bringing it up to code, including asbestos removal, the group determined the project to be prohibitive. The CEDC in cooperation with the City of Broken Bow then made plans to demolish the building and subdivide the property into lots for single family homes. With plans in the works for demolition, a public auction was held to remove the contents in the building.
As time passed, demolition plans seemed to fade due to delays and because of public input indicating a desire to save the building. In September of 2023, the Broken Bow Home Builders purchased the Custer School building for $20,000 from the CEDC. Barry Fox, who is a member of the Broken Bow Builders, told KCNI/KBBN News that the builders group has been looking at any and all options for the building. One of the options they were considering was to renovate the school building into apartments.
On Friday, February 23rd, Barry Fox told KCNI/KBBN News that he received a phone call a couple of weeks ago from Taylor Ruether with the new Custer Christian School. That call was followed up with a tour, negotiations and ultimately, the purchase of the Custer School. The Custer Elementary School is now the Custer Christian School. We will have more details in future stories and newscasts on how and why the Custer Christian School Board made the decision to purchase the Custer Elementary School building.
