The Hills are not alone. New census figures released Wednesday show that the hills of western South Dakota are seeing a surge in people approaching or already at retirement age. Like many rural counties in the state in the 1990s, Custer County largely saw a drop in the number of people younger than 35 and a marked increase in those 45 and older. The lack of young people means the only school in Pringle will close for good Thursday. Also, enrollment has dropped below 1,000 students in the Custer district for the first time in 16 years.
State aid is based on enrollment.
The number of children 10 and younger in South Dakota dropped from 113,299 in 1990 to 105,555 in 2000, a 6.8 percent decline. Up the road, the Hills say their neighbors include people from Colorado, Wisconsin and elsewhere. Custer County's population grew 17.7 percent during the past decade, to 7,275 people. Buy land now. Copyright 2001, The Associated Press.