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Arkansas professor makes case for school choice in North Dakota

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Arkansas professor makes case for school choice in North Dakota


FARGO — A professor of education policy says North Dakota is “ready to pop” when it comes to adopting a private “school choice” program.

Patrick Wolf, with the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, spoke about “School Choice in North Dakota” at North Dakota State University on Friday, Nov. 1.

He was a guest of the Challey Institute for Global Innovation and Growth as part of a fall speakers series.

Wolf said 34 states have implemented some form of private school choice, including Montana, South Dakota and Minnesota.

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“There’s one state there, North Dakota, that is a bit of a donut hole,” Wolf told the audience, as he referred to a map on a projected screen.

But he predicts the state won’t be an “outlier” for long.

Patrick Wolf, distinguished professor of education policy at the University of Arkansas, addresses students at North Dakota State University about school choice in North Dakota as part of the Challey Fall Series on Friday, Nov. 1 at NDSU’s Beckwith Recital Hall.

Anna Paige / The Forum

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The North Dakota House put forward a bill in 2023 to offset costs of private school tuition,

but Gov. Doug Burgum vetoed it and an attempt to overturn the veto failed.

House Bill 1532 would have set aside $10 million from the state’s general fund for an educational reimbursement program.

Wolf said Burgum’s inability to get a school choice program passed during his eight years as governor of a red state hurt the governor’s efforts to become presidential nominee Donald Trump’s choice as vice president.

“That was a strike against him,” Wolf said of the governor.

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In Burgum’s veto message at the time, he said while his administration supports school choice, the bill was not the comprehensive solution needed and it fell short especially for rural areas far from any existing nonpublic schools.

In opposing the bill at the time,

Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United,

said it was about using taxpayer dollars to allow private schools to choose the students they want to educate.

He also said rural schools would end up “subsidizing private education for urban families.”

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Kirsten Baesler, who is running for a fourth term as superintendent of public instruction, has said North Dakota should not fund school choice programs at the expense of public schools.

“This cannot be an either-or conversation,”

Baesler said in an interview last month with the North Dakota Monitor.

School choice programs come in four forms, Wolf said: school vouchers, tax credit scholarships, individual tax credits and education savings accounts, or ESAs.

South Dakota and Montana both have tax credit scholarships, with the latter also offering ESAs, while Minnesota has an individual tax credit to benefit parents who self-fund their child’s private schooling, according to Wolf.

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Tax credit scholarships were developed, he said, because some states have constitutional prohibitions against the government directly supporting religious organizations.

An ESA system, similar to a health savings account, would fit best in North Dakota, he said, because of its flexibility.

“They can accommodate rural areas that wouldn’t have a critical mass of students to go to a traditional private school, but also accommodate the existing private schools,” he added.

Wolf made a case for school choice by saying while the government has a responsibility to support every child’s education, it doesn’t have to control the delivery of education as a result.

He compared North Dakota to West Virginia, also a rural state with a handful of medium size cities, where an ESA program was adopted three years ago.

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Based on the states’ similarities, he said it’s estimated North Dakota would have approximately 1,100 participants in an ESA program the first year, about 2,700 the second year and a little less than 5,000 the third year.

There would be net costs to the state the first two years, but by year three, Wolf said the state would get back $1.11 in savings for every dollar spent.

He also maintains his research and that of colleagues shows private school choice programs can boost high school graduation rates, thus leading to lifetime income and health benefits for those individuals and communities as a whole.

He also said studies indicate test scores of public school students go up when those public schools are pressured by the launch of a school choice program.

Two private school leaders attended Wolf’s presentation.

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“He’s got a lot of evidence to put to bed some of the fears and misconceptions, stereotypes, of why we can’t possibly do school choice,” said Mike Hagstrom, president of JPII Catholic Schools.

Bob Otterson, president of Oak Grove Lutheran School, echoed that statement.

“What I think we heard today from Dr. Wolf is there’s actual research. It’s not just a feeling about what people have,” he said.





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North Dakota

Cass County Deputy being investigated by the ND BCI resigns

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Cass County Deputy being investigated by the ND BCI resigns


FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy who is under investigation by the the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) has resigned from the department.

Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner says he was contacted by the BCI in September saying they were initiating an investigation into Deputy Carson Quam for alleged criminal activity. Jahner says the Sheriff’s Office was unaware of any criminal activity Quam was potentially involved with.

On November 21, the Sheriff’s office announced that Quam is no longer an employee of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

Jahner says the information was not released in September because it was an active and ongoing investigation from another agency.

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“Any time criminal allegations are made against one of my employees, my Office will always collaborate with the investigating and prosecuting agencies to assist throughout the investigation and potential prosecution, working to ensure the integrity of the case. If criminal activity is substantiated, it will not be tolerated. My Office will always strive through rigorous background checks, department training, and accountability to put the best deputies in our communities to protect and serve our citizens,” said Sheriff Jahner.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says it is unable to comment further pending investigation and review by the Grand Forks and Cass County States Attorney’s Offices. Valley News Live will continue to follow this situation as it develops.



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North Dakota

Johnston leads Loyola Marymount against North Dakota after 27-point outing – WTOP News

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Johnston leads Loyola Marymount against North Dakota after 27-point outing – WTOP News


North Dakota Fightin’ Hawks (2-2) at Loyola Marymount Lions (1-2) Los Angeles; Friday, 10 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Loyola Marymount…

North Dakota Fightin’ Hawks (2-2) at Loyola Marymount Lions (1-2)

Los Angeles; Friday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Loyola Marymount hosts North Dakota after Will Johnston scored 27 points in Loyola Marymount’s 77-71 loss to the Saint Louis Billikens.

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Loyola Marymount finished 12-19 overall with an 8-8 record at home during the 2023-24 season. The Lions averaged 11.9 assists per game on 25.9 made field goals last season.

North Dakota finished 18-14 overall a season ago while going 7-8 on the road. The Fightin’ Hawks averaged 75.3 points per game while shooting 44.3% from the field and 32.6% from 3-point range last season.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Copyright
© 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Snow gives wildfire responders first chance to catch breath in months

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Snow gives wildfire responders first chance to catch breath in months


BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – First responders finally have a chance to catch a breath after an intense couple of months.

Hunter Noor with the North Dakota Forest Service said the snow is bringing some much-needed moisture to dry areas in the state. He said first responders and volunteers who have been working since October to manage the fires hope the snow continues because it could mean the end of a historic wildfire season.

“I’d like to say we are done, but I’m going to knock on wood when I say it, because you never know what Mother Nature’s going to throw at you. So, December— it could warm back up to 40, 50 degrees, you could have another wind event and see more fires— but looking at the forecast, looking at what they’re predicting, it looks like we’re going to slide into the winter season, hopefully pretty quietly,” Noor said.

He said more precipitation should help keep any potential fires at bay.

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