BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The North Dakota Crisis Chaplains are ensuring the state’s first responders are being taken care of.

Its focus is on bringing chaplains and support to law enforcement and first responders in small, rural communities. The organization is already serving in 17 counties, and its goal is to serve in every county in the state.

“We thought everyone had what Bismarck had, and they didn’t. There were just a couple of pockets of active, trained, engaged chaplains serving first responder agencies, primarily in the cities,” said lead chaplain, Bryan Holchhalter. “There were maybe one or two small chaplain-served agencies in the state out of 53 counties, and some of those weren’t trained, some of those weren’t active, they weren’t during ride-alongs, they weren’t engaged with their departments, and there was basically a canyon of need.“

You can donate to the cause at ndcrisischaplains.com.

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People don’t pursue a teaching career in the hopes of getting rich. While the profession offers many rewards, excellent pay is typically not among them.

That said, we should not resign ourselves to the assumption that competitive pay doesn’t matter when it comes to attracting people to teach or retaining the best teachers.

So it’s frankly embarrassing and shameful that

North Dakota has fallen to 40th in average teacher pay

among the 50 states and Washington, D.C.

The National Education Association recently released its annual report of teacher pay by state.

Last year, North Dakota teachers earned an average annual salary of $58,581. The average annual starting salary was $43,734.

Average teacher pay has climbed in North Dakota by nearly 7% since 2020-21, when the state ranked 34th in the nation, but that hasn’t kept pace with nationwide growth of around 10% over the same period.

Last year alone, average salaries in North Dakota grew by 3.2% compared to 3.8% nationwide.

Salaries for starting teachers in North Dakota have also dropped from 26th nationwide in 2021-22 to 34th last year.

Meanwhile, the average teacher salary in Minnesota is $72,430, or about $14,000 more than in North Dakota. That puts Minnesota 15th in teacher pay nationwide.

Starting teachers in Minnesota earn an average salary of $44,995, only about $1,261 more than in North Dakota. Minnesota ranks 26th in that benchmark compared to North Dakota’s ranking at 34th.

So while North Dakota has tried to slowly increase teacher pay in recent years, it hasn’t kept pace with the value other states have placed upon teachers.

As a result, North Dakota is struggling to attract and retain teachers, especially in rural areas. The problem is getting more acute by the year as the core of longtime educators retire and fewer young people pursue the profession known for poor pay and challenging work conditions made worse by poor parenting and a growing distrust of education.

This also comes at a time when North Dakota’s Legacy Fund hovers around $12 billion. The 15-year-old growing pile of money gleaned from the state’s taxes on the oil and gas industry is meant as a reserve fund for when those natural resources are depleted.

The intent of the Legacy Fund, created by taxpayers, was to use the state’s natural riches for transformative change. The recently adjourned Legislature did just that when it joined the governor’s push to tap a small portion of the Legacy Fund to lower property taxes, an issue that has plagued North Dakotans for decades.

Between now and the conclusion of the next legislative session in two years, lawmakers must make it a priority to increase teacher salaries. A good goal is to get North Dakota to at least the middle ranks of teacher pay in the country. It’s hard to be happy with average, but a “C” is better than the “F” we have today.

If we truly want to leave a legacy, there is no better investment in the future of North Dakota.

GRAFTON, N.D. — The fate of the Walsh County Jail is in the hands of voters.

The North Dakota Department of Corrections has warned the county that the jail will be shut down if a new one is not built.

It’s not a question if the current Walsh County Jail will close, but when. County leaders are under the impression that date is much sooner rather than later.

Sewer backups in cells, corroded pipes and mold in the basement are just a few of the dozens of problems inside the 50-year-old jail, which also houses the sheriff’s department.

The jail also has no air conditioning.

“Our jail has outlived its lifespan. There has been continual maintenance done on the jail, but it has just simply worn out,” said county commissioner Kristi Brintnell.

Twelve years ago, the jail was reduced from 25 beds to 16 due to the condition of the facility. Sheriff Ron Jurgens said he currently spends nearly a quarter of a million dollars shipping inmates across the state.

Right now eight county inmates are spread out as far away as Williston, more than 300 miles away from Grafton.

“We put them in the back of a squad car and drive them three, four, five, six hours away,” he said.

Proposed is a $42.6 million jail and sheriff’s office. The new law enforcement center would be three times bigger than the current LEC. The jail would have 46 beds. It would include beds for women and people experiencing mental health episodes.

“They are allowing us basically to remain open because we are looking at building a jail,” Brintnell said.

Voters will be asked two questions:

The first is a sales tax increase of 3/4 of a percent. That equates to 75 cents for every $100 spent in the county.

Question 2 is a 20 mill increase on property taxes. That’s about an extra $90 a year on a $100,000 home, or $199 a year on a quarter of land.

Both need a simple majority to pass.

Brittnell said the county did a study that showed if the new jail is not built and the county has to transport inmates for 20 years, doing so would cost $12 million more than building the new jail.

Not only would it cost more, but Sheriff Jurgens said it would take deputies off patrol to transport inmates across the state.

“Having 20 more inmates to try and find beds for will be a nightmare for me,” he said.

If the project is approved by voters on May 13, construction would begin next year and be finished in 2027.

The old LEC would then be demolished for a parking lot.

The polls are open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Walsh County Courthouse.

Absentee ballots are also available.

Walsh County citizens can calculate the tax impact on their home and property by visiting the walshcountyvote.com

Matt Henson is an Emmy award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Prior to joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the main anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years.