[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6382891,"mediaKeyId","2126017-fc0794598a8b634fa896665429606058","parentId",2126017,"title","School for the Deaf asks lawmakers to fund staff, security upgrades and online high‑school courses","audioSeconds",2069,"startMs",317000,"endMs",2386000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2126017-fc0794598a8b634fa896665429606058&start=317&end=2386","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2126017-fc0794598a8b634fa896665429606058/thumbnail_317000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6382891/North-Dakota/School-for-the-Deaf-asks-lawmakers-to-fund-staff-security-upgrades-and-online-highschool-courses","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6382891-6b5b753a9c953c4af1ac13d058e5977e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159669&Signature=ESpmC4JDYD7Lp1~t0bjlxNCQkmvKjUzMLpdd8dgaabnoQiHkIycJU9AijjDKWkJxZ4cQm1pgs-b2U9ajDhpjOx557nYEWo6zIXHbbomcDCEFsfkdp9cFmp9YjfDJAE~m9u7sAcHn8cIkHtNJg-9Row0IUlilz-61rWLtzKYnOKPC-AS6uCXpBE-6XKZx7zkhtqSWd2TQO7vikEHpTrwB4ZK7RpsTCZJjxh9SMVlfUjYaYXfjb7uQHGa2C79p~Uf3LmXhAj0naf~RC3UJ8~JNkCEZmqvSeCRKkKNE42h5dO0miDsy0WGepGkwYWhF5BgalWx8MSmi0V5HUnPsiwypaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, ND","date","2025-01-16T00:00:00Z","article","Donna Sorensen, superintendent of the North Dakota School for the Deaf and Resource Center, told the House Appropriations and Education and Environment Division during an HB1013 overview that the school needs additional staff and facility investments to maintain programs that serve deaf and hard‑of‑hearing children and adults statewide.

The School for the Deaf provides on‑campus instruction through eighth grade, a residential high‑school program for students who live on campus and a statewide outreach program that supports local districts, Sorensen said. \"Our purpose is just to serve as a statewide resource,\" she said.

The superintendent said the school seeks staff investments to reduce burnout and improve student safety: an additional paraprofessional position, and converting a temporary overnight night‑watch role into a permanent dormitory counselor with state benefits. Sorensen told the committee that making the overnight position permanent and providing benefits would be \"so much more attractive to someone,\" a change she said would cost about $1,500,000 (as presented in testimony).

Sorensen described student counts and program structure: the on‑campus program serves roughly 25 students at the time of testimony, including a new preschool student and a second‑grader starting soon; about 18 of the students live on campus. High‑school students currently attend Devil's Lake High School while the school pilots supplemental online courses through the American School for the Deaf’s online academy; she asked the committee to restore a $70,000 line item to continue that pilot in the coming biennium.

The presentation listed recent accomplishments and challenges: the school earned Cognia accreditation, filled 14 of 16 vacancies within a month in the last biennium, added a licensed practical nurse for evenings and restored a second overnight staffer after more than a decade of single‑person coverage. Sorensen also highlighted a new deaf‑mentor program based on a Utah State University model and an expanding communications and advocacy program to help deaf adults access state agencies and court services.

Facility work included a prolonged roofing and HVAC project that delayed other capital items. In the budget summary Sorensen identified an executive request for a campus security camera upgrade (listed at $238,800 in testimony), operating equipment replacement (about $283,800) and a request to carry over capital dollars for boiler and pneumatic control replacements.

Diane Fralick, the school’s business manager, answered questions about remaining special‑fund balances and explained that a recently purchased snowplow and other equipment under $5,000 had been charged to that balance; she confirmed there was no specific planned use for the remaining $35,418 at the time of testimony. Representative Richter and other committee members asked about paraeducator wages and professional development; Sorensen said paras are paid hourly (she cited a current starting rate near $20.21 an hour) and that state employee positions include benefits, while some temporary positions do not.

The committee did not take a vote on the school’s requests at the overview hearing; members indicated they would return for a more detailed review.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division Jan 16, 2025 II","oneSentenceSummary","Donna Sorensen, superintendent of the North Dakota School for the Deaf and Resource Center, told the House Appropriations and Education and Environment Division during an HB1013 overview that the school needs additional staff and facility investments to maintain programs that serve deaf and hard‑of‑hearing children and adults statewide.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28886,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6382884,"Center for Distance Education reports sharp enrollment growth and asks for staff, spending authority and system upgrades",5340,3236000,8576000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2126017-fc0794598a8b634fa896665429606058&start=3236&end=8576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2126017-fc0794598a8b634fa896665429606058/thumbnail_3236000.jpg","/articles/6382884/North-Dakota/Center-for-Distance-Education-reports-sharp-enrollment-growth-and-asks-for-staff-spending-authority-and-system-upgrades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6382884-7ba233d4fc214dd7d816e58ecadcdbaf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159669&Signature=Bdia05C0BhCfL2evlsPBi8AfmLaHWkli1lHDAtwvUUjuiaeRl-2VMzIEe7ZUXxRakJOxFFHSTpocbYPsRW9rDSGt9HGhAemH91i5QYLHi7lGrYwe5Oa2ieJmord689jEZqFyVLaOevwDkIrcCpDx23wTvG9tLGmefqaAqvyFASWauWXBgVn2TkbSi-VUAaGB7Ht-ms2Bj7h2oOdGddAI3o3G9samQxJqJ6ZOw~i6DJhqYyOXCUl5o4VT4SNnAz-eB3kZxgUXUyFDfEmU7TI-X3wOE80Mxya38kStsBZVqYA1v~TO3D5la1FxgAH7T3357VcO1NwsWors6mdTUx5JOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Alyssa Martin, state director of the North Dakota Center For Distance Education, told the House Appropriations and Education and Environment Division that the center is experiencing rapid growth and requested funding and staffing to support that expansion.

Martin said the Center for Distance Education (CDE), which traces its roots to 1935, served more than 27,000 course enrollments in the current biennium and reported roughly 15,000 enrollments in the current fiscal year at the time of testimony. She said the agency had earned about $4.9 million in tuition revenue to date and that the center is tuition‑contingent: increased enrollments have been funded through tuition rather than additional general fund appropriations.

To manage growth and maintain quality, Martin presented four decision packages and related requests: increased special spending authority (to allow the center to spend higher tuition revenue as enrollments rise), conversion of key full‑time temporary positions to permanent status (she asked to convert two temporary hires tied to enrollment and learning‑management work), conversion of a 0.8 FTE to a full FTE to improve retention, and a request for $350,000 to replace an aging enterprise resource/store/billing system. She also requested $513,000 in general fund support for two items: a military pathway program (curriculum development and tuition waivers for participating students) and tuition waivers for some home‑schooled students who otherwise cannot afford multiple courses.

Martin attributed large enrollment increases in part to changes in state law (House Bill 1376), which shifted choice toward families seeking courses and removed some district discretion. She told the committee that HB1376 and other pending proposals (including HB1105 and HB1172) could change the center’s financial model depending on amendments.

The center has taken several steps to address concerns from districts about academic rigor and integrity. Martin said the center is moving toward competency‑based education with standard‑level pre/post assessments, phasing out weak CTE courses, replacing multiple‑choice assessments with more authentic, project‑based assessments where appropriate, imposing test‑access codes for proctored exams that change every 48 hours, running weekly rapid‑progress reports to flag suspiciously fast progress, and revamping academic‑integrity policies. She said the center has hired a dean of students and a counselor to coordinate interventions and student supports.

Martin outlined organizational changes and staffing: the center has 104 employees, with 29 full‑time equivalent positions currently active, 64 part‑time adjuncts who often teach evenings and weekends, and 1.8 vacancies she is restructuring and filling. She asked to convert positions hired as full‑time temporary to permanent status to retain staff who have been critical in responding to enrollment demand.

Committee members questioned the center about tuition rates, curriculum oversight and how competency‑based results would translate to local districts’ grade reporting. Martin said the center will provide both standard letter grades and proficiency‑by‑standard reporting, and maintain alignment to North Dakota standards so credits transfer back to local districts.

Martin also said the center has invested in curriculum vetting, new dashboards for competency tracking, partnerships (National Guard for a military pathway, state library for rural students, Cybersecurity courses with EduTech) and new onboarding and professional development requirements for adjuncts. No vote was taken at the overview hearing; legislators asked for more budget detail at future hearings.

","Dr. Alyssa Martin, state director of the North Dakota Center For Distance Education, briefed the House Appropriations and Education and Environment Division on rapid enrollment growth and requested additional spending authority, staffing conversions and system upgrades to sustain quality.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6382888,"School for the Blind asks for more staff, assistive‑technology investment and building repairs in HB1013 overview",2669,2404000,5073000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2126017-fc0794598a8b634fa896665429606058&start=2404&end=5073","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2126017-fc0794598a8b634fa896665429606058/thumbnail_2404000.jpg","/articles/6382888/North-Dakota/School-for-the-Blind-asks-for-more-staff-assistivetechnology-investment-and-building-repairs-in-HB1013-overview","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6382888-aa572070bc1dccf2b4d62b0a8909d77c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159669&Signature=f~SAVrn6lQ4O2k0q73U3COiz32S1OYC973kgXcZkQicetCAbNaMRdzQNe7uR9IQsnsiHlBms7d0AghtiYAoQ~2POHg0CsP2BL~0xXqU4NQ819h8HTgZHMIoBs-8tlJLIlUBpF~A~BEIkK8fGwLacb~ddBGi6TEJJeFe0e-xGf7AfBdrtFvljiZYHV5fzQipxhqe3uU359LxJYWVzctv5h72bsY3KuaxfLoKVmhKQRiuBW~BSoc7JYOHiIT~dttwS8fqWNjoJdRWA4CY0E~pKnveClVRy4sUdHFvk5~gNQxcCi9UWNaC5AS-Xd9TMVKjMz6uCIZaEqjvCH8BzVr8c3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Paul Olsen, superintendent of North Dakota Vision Services School for the Blind, presented an overview of the agency’s mission, services and budget request to the House Appropriations and Education and Environment Division during the HB1013 hearing.

Olsen said the agency provides statewide services for infants, children and adults with visual impairment from its headquarters in Grand Forks, offering short‑term residential programs, outreach to school districts and adult training in orientation and mobility, assistive technology and household management. \"We are educators and advocates partnering with related agencies to provide individualized services and resources to infants, children, and adults with visual impairment to empower them in achieving their goals,\" Olsen said.

He described statutory references in Century Code that define the agency’s authority and noted a 2001 name change to clarify that the agency serves adults as well as children. Olsen said the school serves roughly 269 infants and students and about 190 adults in the most recent reporting period; taken together the school touches more than 500 people per biennium.

On finances, Olsen told legislators the agency’s total budget request for the next biennium is roughly $7.6 million, including a projected $5.4 million for salaries and wages; operating requests totalling about $1.2 million; and capital asset requests near $922,000. He said salaries are the largest part of the request and described a composite salary schedule for teachers with 24 steps of increments. The agency requested an optional $108,950 to move teachers forward on that composite schedule and additional operating and capital funds to address aging building systems, a fire‑alarm upgrade, parking improvements and other deferred maintenance.

Olsen highlighted facility projects completed with prior one‑time funding — commons renovations, flooring and roof work — and identified remaining needs including landscaping and an electrical panel replacement. A parking‑lot update cost $55,780, he told the committee.

Olsen also outlined a forthcoming assistive‑technology study and said the agency wants to implement the study’s recommendations to expand assessment and intervention for assistive technology across all students and adults served. He asked the committee to consider an access‑technology position the agency believes is necessary; Olsen noted the position was discussed with the governor’s office but was not recommended in an initial executive budget.

Committee members asked about partnerships with the University of North Dakota, possible internship opportunities and the school’s role in adult services; Olsen said the agency collaborates with UND, Grand Forks Public Schools and other partners and described short‑term instructional weeks and adult training that include orientation, assistive technology and emotional support for people adapting to vision loss.

No committee vote was taken at the overview hearing; members said they would return to review the agency’s materials in more detail in later hearings.

","Paul Olsen, superintendent of North Dakota Vision Services School for the Blind, told the appropriations committee the agency seeks about $7.6 million for the next biennium, with salaries the largest component and a proposed access‑technology position singled out for further review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

School for the Deaf asks lawmakers to fund staff, security upgrades and online high‑school courses

Center for Distance Education reports sharp enrollment growth and asks for staff, spending authority and system upgrades

School for the Blind asks for more staff, assistive‑technology investment and building repairs in HB1013 overview