Custer School District names Building Educators of the Year

They’ve been voted the best in the buildings and for good reason.
The 2026 Custer School District (CSD) Educators of the Year are Jared Webster for Custer Jr./Sr. High School, Jessica Haug for Custer Elementary School and Molly Wonnenberg for Hermosa School.
CSD superintendent of schools Dr. Tim Frederick said, “Each of these individuals demonstrates a passion for their discipline, unwavering commitment to student success, strong instructional leadership and a sincere, deep care for students, families and their colleagues. Jared, Jessica and Molly embody the commitment and excellence that make our schools special. Please take a moment to personally congratulate Jessica, Molly and Jared on this well-deserved recognition. We are all proud of the work they do and are grateful for the positive impact they make across the school district and communities.”
Jared Webster has been with the CSD since November 2007. Currently, he teaches high school welding, high school residential construction and middle school Career and Technical Education (CTE).
“I wasn’t planning on being a teacher, and then the opportunity came up. I was only going to do it for a couple of years, but it’s been fun, and I enjoy it,” said Webster.
Webster enjoys his role because, “In high school, kids get to experience what they want with hands-on, be creative with projects and it’s always a new environment, always something new to learn.”
The best part about teaching in the CSD for Webster is getting to know the students, being around them and helping them out.
This year, one of the highlights has been moving into the new CTE building, although there was a transition period first.
“It’s been a long school year because we weren’t in the new building yet. It was kind of tough with classes, but once we got in, it was nice having a lot of space, a lot of room for projects. The equipment is up to date, and everybody has enough room to do things,” said Webster.
Webster found out about the award while at the state wrestling tournament.
When asked what the Building Educator of the Year award meant to him, Webster said, “It’s just an everyday thing with kids. I don’t really feel like that, I guess. I’m low-key, or I try to be. It’s just fun being able to be around kids and help them out and let them be creative.”
“It’s great seeing some of the kids that have gone through this program give back to the school already and get to see them out in the community, working on lifelong skills,” said Webster.
Over in the elementary school, Jessica Haug grew up in the Custer schools herself and said, “My connection to this community and school runs deep. I’ve wanted to be a teacher my whole life. The best part of teaching here is the connection to the teachers who made me want to teach in the first place.”
Haug worked as a paraprofessional for a year while completing her teaching degree. After taking a year off when her daughter was born, Haug student taught in Heather Cooper’s class during the 2020-21 school year. She later taught fourth grade and reading intervention. This is her first year teaching first grade.
“It is exciting to watch students become fluent readers. Our kindergarten teachers provide an excellent foundation for students to continue building their reading skills. Students go from reading CVC words to texts with multiple reading patterns. I always tell my class, ‘You have the hardest job in the school. You are learning the patterns of reading, and you are learning to make sense of the information you are reading.’ It is tough work,” said Haug.
This year, and every year, Haug said the best part is working with the students.
“I feel it is a great responsibility to help these wonderful people set the foundation of learning for their lives. It is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. Teaching can’t happen in silos, though. At Custer Elementary School, we do a great job of collaborating as teams to share data and ideas that help our students learn. I have been supported by my co-workers (who are also some of my best friends) all year,” said Haug.
The day she heard the news, Haug was working with volunteer Dee Scragg, who helps with a math lesson one day a week. While the class was at recess, and Haug and Scragg were discussing the lesson, Haug’s phone started dinging.
“My phone was going crazy with emails and texts, so I checked what was going on. I saw a text from Hallie Webster that said, ‘Congratulations!!’ Mrs. Scragg was my fourth grade teacher, so it was a special moment to share with her,” said Haug.
Frederick came to her classroom later that day to deliver the news, and Haug said her class was very excited.
“A few days later, one of my students was looking at a printout of the press release of the award, and he said, ‘Teacher of the year… I still can’t believe it.’ It made me smile,” said Haug.
“It is a great joy to be recognized with this award. Many jobs are just that, but teaching can’t ever really be a job you go to and forget about at the end of the day. I know I shouldn’t be defined by the work I do, but I truly love teaching. I am blessed to teach with an excellent group of educators who continually put student needs first. This award reflects the countless people who have poured their love, prayers, guidance and support into me throughout my years as a student in CSD and now, as an educator here.”
At Hermosa School, Molly Wonnenberg has been working in the CSD for five years and currently teaches third grade. Specifically, she is teaching reading, phonics, social studies and writing this year.
“I enjoy that third grade is a transition year from learning to read to reading to learn. I also appreciate how independent third grade students are, so we get to do a lot of inquiry-based projects. As far as teaching English language arts (ELA), I am so passionate about reading and writing. One of my favorite things to do in my free time is to read. So getting to talk and nerd out about words with my class is always so fun,” said Wonnenberg.
In the 2025-26 school year, Wonnenberg said one of the best parts has been being able to compartmentalize and focus on one subject area.
“I feel like I can really dive into all aspects of the ELA strand, and I have become a much more effective teacher because of it,” said Wonnenberg.
Additionally, when it comes to working in the CSD, Wonnenberg said, “My coworkers at Hermosa have honestly been the best part of my job. I don’t think I would be where I am today without the teachers here. They are always willing to help and offer advice when needed. They are supportive and have made this school an environment where it is okay to make mistakes and learn from them.”
Wonnenberg found out about the award through a district-wide email. When asked what the honor means to her, Wonnenberg said, “I have been putting in a lot of work to become a better teacher, and it feels nice to have that recognized and rewarded.”
The Building Educators of the Year will be honored at the staff dinner March 27 at Laughing Water Restaurant. That evening, the CSD Teacher of the Year will also be announced.