[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,76,88,99,111],{"_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",6092843,"mediaKeyId","2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49","parentId",2852069,"title","Committee reviews DPI program grants, student information system and school‑blind staffing in long‑sheet discussion","audioSeconds",438,"startMs",2507000,"endMs",2945000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49&start=2507&end=2945","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49/thumbnail_2507000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6092843/North-Dakota/Committee-reviews-DPI-program-grants-student-information-system-and-schoolblind-staffing-in-longsheet-discussion","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6092843-65af8b77ea7b0194abe615ae4d8ba3f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138707&Signature=Q5ZGwfp0g7IarhCd-HWBRb8l9xJV~Vchym5DoqGZ12yaCH7AnlHqxPqzxp-EFCziYqkXOlRKba4YW565plry15XlD5YSijLjnL17OIW7Fy~R4KmaQPzrrb2i1rGTaCZoIJ9rLa2mfQDBpJZvpLy1Wk4lZkcG2HytpkAa5EIBmyGWbmtwjPlje0vXMWhLC8Oj1vfNqk1-Fbttbem9292ezVQNNWX3MHwyBFtkywvW3F5eNGrl-6xRhXSso9Jmw3mJgU5PkDAMAQ3KLd8FZm20ZEXqr1XfJetF694MydZFQOXmD68v~7HJAEpCiabfnxEIDMSerL9X5XZl4c1fGqvZ3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Dakota Legislature","date","2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","article","The Appropriations - Education and Environment Division spent hours reviewing Department of Public Instruction (DPI) program grants and pass‑through items included in the Department’s long sheets on House Bill 10‑13.

Committee members debated funding sources and whether one‑time grants should be supported by the School Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund, general fund, or other sources. The most visible debate concerned the free‑meals appropriation: the House had increased funding to support meals at 225% of the federal poverty level, but several senators proposed returning the line to the House base level of $4.5 million and discussing a higher rate in conference.

Senate staff and DPI representatives said the paraprofessional‑to‑teacher pipeline—an initiative lawmakers described as successful—should continue and be funded in operations. Several one‑time pilot grants were proposed for removal. The committee left in place programs DPI recommended as ongoing, and asked staff to produce revised long sheets that reflected the committee’s preferred funding sources and amounts.

Kirsten, a DPI official, explained the department’s student information and reporting systems. She said the state currently uses PowerSchool with licensing and hosting provided through the North Dakota Information Technology (NDIT) office, but a 2021 legislative directive and recent work means DPI plans to move to a different student information system and “we will be moving to a different student information system. We will be bringing those things in house not storing on our NDIT server,” she said. DPI staff told the committee the planned migration would change the program grant to an operational expense once the new system is in place beginning in FY2026.

Committee members also discussed a request for an additional FTE at the North Dakota School for the Blind to coordinate assistive‑technology services; the request was described as a $152,000 position in the department’s materials, and several members said they would support adding it to the long sheets. The committee asked staff to update long sheets to reflect the adjustments and to return the updated documents for further review.

No formal vote was taken; members instructed staff to prepare updated funding sheets and fiscal numbers for the next meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Appropriations - Education and Environment Division Apr 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Appropriations - Education and Environment Division reviewed Department of Public Instruction program and pass‑through grant recommendations in House Bill 10‑13, including debate over free‑meal funding, student information system plans and a requested assistive‑technology position at the School for the Blind.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, Senate, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28899,"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},6092848,"Bill 12‑14 would change K‑12 transportation funding formula, officials say it raises costs for next biennium",1795,350000,2145000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49&start=350&end=2145","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49/thumbnail_350000.jpg","/articles/6092848/North-Dakota/Bill-1214-would-change-K12-transportation-funding-formula-officials-say-it-raises-costs-for-next-biennium","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6092848-b63dada37ba3ba346b4025cd8aa7b9d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138707&Signature=FVGC363QP2vBihUP3UWkvrB8S0Roumh3~ER-Rahw4fmYJjqsR4i7KU3yIpolQsvT4LOiUDZxX7b2jb2h4SuSgdzuCuF7TDwjwGLYQ4VwkoiBmaHND191dnaU25xvGLwTHMbPJVWpVRCXDyGNrYV-HRcVd6F2iIqSD9C91YPjSq104Bns5gDK14M83JN~1KJipGFD5Iw-qhLF6h436u3rLIQDmNHwlcss5vTvz5vYH-cr0U9WnomCzVDWAWaQ4hNGVjzqqOGOlf8t5w~0z2Yykc8MgHZGMzwXZ1OhbIAhgCAYg~ujJjbPjIxnYpdV9dUpwszzBt28fbFgpVMj9toeGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 12‑14, which Representative David Richter said would “change[] the way we fund the transportation, K‑twelve transportation in North Dakota,” received a detailed review Thursday in the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division.

The bill would retain bus miles and runs in the calculation but remove ‘‘riders’’ as a factor and add two new multipliers: one based on a district’s square mileage and a second based on the number of school buildings that have classes. The measure would also convert transportation funding from a block‑grant approach to a weighted student unit tied to the per‑pupil payment, so transportation funding would move up or down as the per‑pupil rate changes.

That shift matters because it changes how much state money districts will receive for busing and how increases are calculated. Representative David Richter, who presented the bill, said the formula came from an interim study performed by the University of North Dakota and an interim school‑funding task force. He told the committee the intent is to make funding more closely reflect actual transportation activity and to eliminate a recurring inflation adjustment by tying increases directly to the per‑pupil payment.

DPI School Finance Officer Adam Tesher told the committee the bill’s fiscal note appears larger than the actual additional cash the state will need this coming biennium. “We will not spend all $58,000,000 this biennium,” Tesher said, noting an expected turnback and explaining the $10 million fiscal note reflects different comparisons to cost‑to‑continue figures. He said the bill as drafted would likely result in roughly $3–4 million of additional spending on top of the $58.1 million appropriation, while larger per‑pupil scenarios (a move from a 2‑and‑2 to a 3‑and‑3 funding schedule) would raise costs further.

Committee members pressed several operational questions. Senators asked whether the bill changes reimbursement for out‑of‑district or open‑enrolled students; presenters said it does not change the existing policy that limits state reimbursement for mileage associated solely with open‑enrolled runs. Members also requested that the factor multipliers be adjusted so no district would see a lower transportation payment under the new formula: Tesher said preliminary runs showed about 10 districts could be negatively affected if the multiplier were reduced to reach a target fiscal total near $60.1 million.

Supporters said the formula would help geographically large, low‑enrollment districts that currently receive a smaller share of transportation costs, while critics on the committee and some members said they wanted safeguards to ensure no district loses money because of the change. Representative Richter and committee members discussed adjusting the multiplier (for example to 0.09 from 0.1 in the weighted unit conversion) to match a pre‑set target for the biennium; Tesher said he had run scenarios and would refine those figures.

No formal vote or formal action was recorded during the hearing; committee members asked staff to run additional calculations and to draft factor tweaks intended to hold districts harmless while moving to the new formula.

The committee will consider the bill again after staff provide updated fiscal runs and district‑level impact data.","House Bill 12‑14, which Representative David Richter said would “change[] the way we fund the transportation, K‑twelve transportation in North Dakota,” received a detailed review Thursday in the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":42,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6092828,"Tribal‑area superintendents urge gap funding after federal Title I allocation switch to census model",6652000,7090000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49&start=6652&end=7090","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49/thumbnail_6652000.jpg","/articles/6092828/North-Dakota/Tribalarea-superintendents-urge-gap-funding-after-federal-Title-I-allocation-switch-to-census-model","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6092828-ac3c8606deb31d5158db278b421aa73d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138707&Signature=EwkzUwBtHe0C3TU5XRtz7gmeWG-OmcazWkhMUQ4mQdsyAcc7UQ72rsTcSKW-sAin7dQ81tVUnlkPrYh5vW4Oxd7fRTZm4o5ydZYkZM1K9dvV-Wl6TRi5hQUZjcf4vve8I3fyWwtFZVhW3-DW0UYhsVPwTJ3AbZpB4VezcMlcKrDllZARtTmNF94im2zoMsSyg~lDwqbpPF22t-IpIULn4nd6b1Ple72E3tZXO~-9hhOcy8XFnIV0rNXz92I69AkGjrol7dZqE8QchLCxNX1IIloXzB-DM9BsCMYtoHU~Lrc9i~qaI42uXELETgDEDSUTSgMxj0gAxESpYArYFNKWyQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendents from high‑poverty, tribal‑area districts asked the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division for gap funding after the state’s preliminary Title I allocations moved from a free‑and‑reduced lunch basis to a census model.

Keith LaValley, superintendent of St. John School District No. 3, told the committee the change means Title I federal dollars remain in students’ home (residing) districts rather than following open‑enrolled students to the districts that educate them. LaValley said St. John educates a large share of off‑reservation students and that the district’s projected Title I allocation fell sharply; he said the district faced a projected decrease of about $621,907 under the preliminary recalculation.

Minnewakanton Superintendent Ken Dennis told the committee his district would lose roughly 81% of Title I funding under the new preliminary allocation numbers, falling from about $485,000 to $89,000. He said the district’s Title I per‑pupil allocation would drop from roughly $1,700 to $314 and that those dollars currently pay for staff who run small‑group instruction, a social worker, a preschool program and other services. Dennis said about 270 of his district’s 284 students are open‑enrolled from neighboring reservation areas and that the loss would put eight Title‑funded positions at risk.

Both superintendents asked the legislature to provide gap funding while the state and federal authorities work to reconcile allocation methods or to develop a longer‑term solution; they framed the request as a temporary measure to avoid immediate layoffs and service reductions for high‑need children. Committee members asked clarifying questions about the change in allocation method and the districts’ enrollment and fiscal figures. Lawmakers did not take action on a funding request during the hearing and asked DPI and legislative staff for follow‑up information.

No formal vote or commitment was recorded; the committee requested more data and asked staff to consider possible gap‑funding approaches for affected schools.","Superintendents from St. John and Minnewakanton told the committee that a recent change to the method for allocating federal Title I funds — from a free‑and‑reduced model to a census‑based model — will cut their districts’ Title I allocations sharply while students being educated in their schools remain open‑enrolled from other districts; they",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6092834,"Governor proposes $1.5 million to help schools buy secure phone storage as cell‑phone policy moves through chambers",575,5821000,6396000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49&start=5821&end=6396","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49/thumbnail_5821000.jpg","/articles/6092834/North-Dakota/Governor-proposes-15-million-to-help-schools-buy-secure-phone-storage-as-cellphone-policy-moves-through-chambers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6092834-2c1b13f66a575ce5df6ebc20d51227ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138707&Signature=W9JX0cN3itluclE7mPpRivXnr5NCx63HFeIibEWcGd0jro-cOV0VWamYo6J5eo-K-heYS4uY5YXREtGgnhiyCbaqXdZxzI2R2oXsYzpJF-xDuP7ZnlKR5JK6ik5seeULyKKYtfSxSpKRCpnnPNyBjDn4Ogv3Oa0qqKAuKgvFt49rHZDeEj~2~3q5v~tCuj7yvbJJX8tucbCKvgcotcqI1nvQo8hFQqzIsVqvFgwh0O-WWwZW1DjyrjjRDrppxk5IlsIOXuFR4-6PeTe12rxsGNwmizfzuTATLDekpB~ekEMbI1mSYc8eAz4wUyYpuAuaof4HHOWoLkTLpLjouQfmXA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Maria Nessa, Chief of Staff to Lieutenant Governor Stranden and senior advisor to Governor Armstrong, asked the committee to adopt a governor’s amendment to provide one‑time reimbursement funding for schools that choose to buy secure phone storage devices if a statewide cell‑phone policy is enacted.

Nessa said the amendment would add $1.5 million in one‑time funding to reimburse districts that purchase lockers, pouches or other secure storage: “Do schools have to use this? No, they do not,” she said, noting districts with existing locker systems would not need the money. The governor’s office described the funding as a modest incentive to help schools implement a policy that would require students to silence and securely store personal electronic devices during instructional time.

Committee members raised practical and policy questions. Some asked how the dollars would be allocated (first‑come, first‑serve or by formula) and whether the $1.5 million would be sufficient for meaningful statewide coverage. Others said local school boards should decide implementation and questioned whether the state should partially fund equipment for some districts and not others.

Senators also asked how the model policies that accompany the bills would define “secure storage.” Maria Nessa read the language from one House bill that would require devices to be “silenced or turned off, securely locked away and inaccessible to students during instructional time,” and said local boards would draft model policies if the bill passes.

A student, Aspen Thielen of Garrison, told the committee that phones can be a distraction but noted some classes rely on phones for classroom work. Aspen said in some local implementations where a school adopted a no‑phone policy, teachers and students adapted before new storage devices arrived. The committee did not take action on the amendment and members asked the governor’s office to provide more details about allocation and implementation before further consideration.

No formal vote was taken.","A governor’s office representative asked the committee to adopt an amendment that would provide $1.5 million in one‑time reimbursements to school districts that choose to buy secure phone storage after passage of proposed statewide cell‑phone policies; committee members questioned rollout details and equity of a partial reimbursement pool.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6092838,"House Bill 13‑69 would raise per‑pupil payments, alter construction thresholds and shift school construction funds",235,3295000,3530000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49&start=3295&end=3530","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2852069-74a7d51b563300ce96c3f3a4f7e83f49/thumbnail_3295000.jpg","/articles/6092838/North-Dakota/House-Bill-1369-would-raise-perpupil-payments-alter-construction-thresholds-and-shift-school-construction-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6092838-073e00b20205cafe7bbc7ef3cf73bc4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771138707&Signature=kGRyFcScZ0EzxahMASy~-YO9PNdpm3oW~KmkTxWku6nzx~qtw6UEyhicb-NqxhPq9LhDfPVL1KcIm4exXsci~nDCTMjzonTgTg0o8BIPMU~C3KSApnQEUy1NKhO4zYNIY4HBH8XoYutnNrrphhe4JWA9p2IGJrZya11-ymH6VyWefoUaV1hlVcuADDE2nUcnLPIf5bCASuUktoaTqelsEOUUWF6oYOeefNJtijIP3MYgqFRcqmptusXRiIrROzip2egax3UumAmYygxJK~0GJEYP7E7dnr7s9j-K~dT0M3SjNKJu6mxfxkdVDu3rvnkRSrsA~~TunzDZTBMqYSvISg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 13‑69, presented in the Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, would raise the per‑pupil payment by 22% under the bill’s current language and make several related policy and construction‑funding changes.

The bill sets proposed per‑pupil rates of $11,293 in year one and $11,519 in year two, a change agency staff said would cost roughly $91.8 million based on current enrollment assumptions. Other provisions include raising the dollar threshold that triggers competitive bidding for building and public‑improvement contracts from $200,000 to $250,000, and eliminating a 12% cap on a local funding component that currently limits a school district’s use of local dollars for certain purposes.

Bill proponents also proposed transferring money from the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund into the School Construction Revolving Loan Fund to increase low‑interest lending capacity for school building projects. Committee sponsors proposed increasing an original transfer of $75 million to $100 million to support upcoming construction needs; lawmakers noted Bank of North Dakota estimates that amount would cover likely requests for the next two years but might require revisiting thereafter.

The bill also contains a change related to boarding‑care placement for students with disabilities. A department official described returning authority for approving placements in public or private facilities to the Department of Public Instruction while other agencies continue to work on their placement processes. The official characterized the interagency placement process as “a spaghetti mess” and said the change would simplify placement decisions for families until Health and Human Services can finalize their internal processes.

Committee members discussed potential protections for districts subject to future property‑tax caps, noting any exemption language would need to be coordinated with a separate property‑tax bill. Senators largely favored increasing funding for public schools, with some members expressing support for a 3‑and‑3 per‑pupil schedule; the committee did not take a formal vote, and members asked staff for updated fiscal figures and language to protect districts that must levy 60 mills if property‑tax caps are enacted.

No formal action was recorded; the committee agreed to reconvene and to review proposed governor amendments when available.","The committee reviewed House Bill 13‑69, which proposes a 22% per‑pupil increase (rates of $11,293 and $11,519), raises public‑improvement bid thresholds, eliminates a 12% cap on certain local funding, and would transfer funds from the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund into the School Construction Revolving Loan Fund; supporters and DPI staff","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee reviews DPI program grants, student information system and school‑blind staffing in long‑sheet discussion

Bill 12‑14 would change K‑12 transportation funding formula, officials say it raises costs for next biennium

Tribal‑area superintendents urge gap funding after federal Title I allocation switch to census model

Governor proposes $1.5 million to help schools buy secure phone storage as cell‑phone policy moves through chambers

House Bill 13‑69 would raise per‑pupil payments, alter construction thresholds and shift school construction funds