North Dakota
Our opinion: The time has come for free school meals for all in North Dakota
A poll by the North Dakota News Cooperative shows 82% of respondents in favor of providing free school meals to all children. Of those, 65% are “strongly in favor.”
With that kind of support, perhaps North Dakota’s Legislature will this year move forward with a plan to provide free lunches for all school children in the state, ensuring healthy and ample meals for all while ridding school lunchrooms of the terrible stigma that attaches itself to those children whose families struggle or refuse to make payments for the meals their children eat.
Minnesota has provided a roadmap. In 2023, Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill that calls for free breakfasts and lunches at schools across the state for all children, regardless of family income and ability to pay. It came as the state was seeing historically high demand at food shelves, according to a report by Minnesota Public Radio. The news agency quoted Leah Gardner, of Hunger Solutions Minnesota, who said “we are still seeing tremendous food insecurity across the state” as food prices continue to rise.
According to Forum News Service reporting last month, North Dakota food banks also are seeing high participation in food aid services. In 2023, for instance, more than 156,000 North Dakotans relied on the Great Plains Food Bank to supplement their nutrition.
Free meals improve the nutrition of all students. North Dakota United – which represents educators throughout the state – points to research that shows students who participate in free food programs have better attendance, behavior, academic performance and achievement.
A free-for-all-students program also changes how students view each other in the lunchroom. For instance, when free meals were offered in Minnesota during the COVID-19 pandemic, “it made it feel like an equal playing field,” Gardner told MPR. “It made all the stigma go away.”
In North Dakota, progress was made in 2023. Lawmakers approved legislation that pays for meals for students of low-income parents and guardians. The final bill was a skeleton of its original form, however. It had been introduced as a measure to provide free meals for all students.
Indeed, free lunches come with a cost. In North Dakota, the program to provide meals for low-income students is some $6 million per biennium. And in more densely populated Minnesota, the free-for-all-students approach is proving more costly than anticipated; it was budgeted at $400 million over two years, but it looks like it’ll be $80 million more than that.
For some lawmakers, the cost for the state is worth it, since it bolsters school learning and attendance while reducing costs for families. Sen. Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks, is among them.
“The top issue heading into the 2025 legislative session is lowering the cost of living. Across North Dakota, families continue to feel the pinch of high costs for essentials like food, child care and housing. As state policymakers, we must continue to make strategic investments and policy choices to bring down these costs,” Ista said. “To tackle food costs, one solution is to provide no-cost school meals for all K-12 students in the state, providing a substantial cost savings for families with schoolchildren and also leading to better educational and behavioral outcomes in classrooms.”
Ista isn’t alone, evidenced by the North Dakota News Cooperative poll and news that 30 organizations in the state are coming together to support a free-meal program. Called “Together for School Meals,” the coalition plans to recommend $140 million in state funding over the coming biennium to reimburse schools for the costs of free meals for all students.
North Dakota can afford this, and making the meals free for all is fair for everybody. Lawmakers should make it happen in 2025.
Herald editorials are written under the byline “Herald editorial board,” since they sometimes include the thoughts, opinions or written input of multiple authors. Editorials generally reflect the opinion of a newspaper’s publisher.
WEST FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Authorities have identified the man killed and the driver involved in a fatal overnight crash in West Fargo.
Jose Rodriguez, 38, of West Fargo, died after being struck by a vehicle early Wednesday morning, according to the North Dakota State Patrol.
The driver, Carly Vizenor, 25, of West Fargo, was not injured. Charges and restraint use remain under investigation.
The crash happened at approximately 2:46 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of 32nd Avenue South and 9th Street West.
According to the State Patrol, a 2016 Ford Fusion was traveling westbound on 32nd Avenue South when it struck Rodriguez, who was crossing the street approximately 20 to 30 yards east of the 9th Street intersection.
The driver left the scene and returned approximately 10 minutes later.
Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene.
The North Dakota State Patrol, West Fargo Police Department, and West Fargo Fire Department all responded to the crash.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Copyright 2026 KVLY. All rights reserved.
Getty
NDSU could make the CFP in 2026.
Winning has been the standard at North Dakota State for decades, and one college football analyst expects a similar result in the FBS right away.
Brett McMurphy of On3 believes NDSU will run the table 12-0 with a Mountain West Conference championship and make the College Football Playoff. McMurphy projects the Bison to face Oregon in the CFP, the Fargo Forum’s Jeff Kolpack reported.
That would mean the Bison would go on the road to Eugene against a perennial FBS contender, which didn’t go well for the last Group of Six team to play the Ducks. Oregon steamrolled James Madison 51-34 in last season’s CFP before the Ducks took down Texas Tech and lost to eventual national champion Indiana.
It’s not impossible for the Bison to get that far based on Sagarin Ratings and the program’s history of success against FBS teams. The Bison would need to maximize what they can control and to have a few things fall their way.
That said, all of this would be contingent upon the Bison receiving clearance for postseason competition from the NCAA on Thursday. Transitioning teams normally face a two-year postseason ban, and NDSU had been in a similar situation before, with a four-year postseason ban during the move from Division II to the FCS in 2004.
NDSU Looking to Pass JMU Again
In 2016, the JMU interrupted NDSU’s five-year FCS championship run with a playoff upset at the Fargodome.
NDSU then beat JMU in the 2017 season championship to win a sixth title in seven years. The Bison beat JMU again in the FCS championship game again for the 2019 season before the Dukes joined the FBS in 2022.
JMU’s success at the FBS level has resulted in two bowl game appearances and Sun Belt Conference title. Amid the conference crown, the Dukes slipped into the CFP as the ACC went topsy-turvy when a 5-5 Duke Blue Devils team at the time upset Virginia.
JMU made the CFP, and Miami represented the ACC while Notre Dame sat at home despite a 10-2 record and a close early-season loss to the national runner-up Hurricanes. NDSU, meanwhile, had a 12-0 regular season in the FCS and got stunned in the FCS playoffs by Illinois State, the second team ever to win a playoff game in Fargo.
The Bison looked like a program retooling to get back up from a postseason disappointment in January, but February brought the news of NDSU’s long-anticipated move up to the FBS. The Mountain West Conference invited the Bison amid the conference’s restructuring with five teams leaving for the Pac-12.
That made the former FCS titan attractive to the Mountain West, which notably lost former CFP entrant Boise State. Whether or not NDSU can become the Mountain West’s new Boise State or pass JMU as a premiere Group of Six team remains unknown.
Common Opponents Key For Bison
The Bison have the odds stacked against them in 2026 to make the CFP, but it’s not impossible.
NDSU doesn’t have a Power Four opponent, but the Bison can make up for that by margin of victory, especially with any Mountain West contenders that have Power Four opponents during the season.
New Mexico has the biggest Power Four opponent among Mountain West teams with Oklahoma, and UTEP faces Oklahoma and Michigan. San Jose State faces USC, another team with CFP hopes.
NDSU beating New Mexico, UTEP and San Jose State handily will especially help in making a run for the playoff.
Matthew Davis covers the NFL, WNBA and college sports for Heavy.com. As a contributing writer to the StarTribune, he has also covered Minnesota prep sports since 2016. More about Matthew Davis
April 20, 1957 – May 2, 2026
Via Miller-Carlin Funeral Home
Steven Privratsky, 69, of Hettinger, North Dakota, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones.
Steven was born on April 20, 1957, in Dickinson, North Dakota, to Steve and Minnie (Binstock) Privratsky. He was raised on the family farm, where he learned the value of hard work, dedication, and family values that he carried with him throughout his life. On June 3, 1977, Steven married the love of his life, Lori Lien, and together they were blessed with three sons: Scott, Mark, and Jason.
Steven was a proud farmer and dedicated many years to raising cattle, planting fields, and cutting hay. Farming was more than a livelihood; it was a way of life he deeply cherished. Steven was also a car enthusiast and a mechanic at heart, and in 1999, he opened Steve’s Service Plus, where he became the town’s trusted mechanic. He took great pride in his work and truly enjoyed visiting with customers, sharing stories, and lending a helping hand.
Above all, Steven’s greatest joy was his family. He loved spending time with his children and grandchildren, creating special memories and turning the farm into an “amusement park” with tractor, truck, and skid steer rides. Over the past five years, living closer to family in Minnesota was a true blessing. He treasured attending his grandchildren’s activities and being present for the moments that mattered most.
Steven is survived by his loving wife, Lori; his children, Scott (Carmen) Privratsky of Rice, MN, Mark (Sarah) Privratsky of Eden Prairie, MN, and Jason (Kristin) Privratsky of Grant, MN; seven grandchildren, Makenna, Grant, Benjamin, Luke, Caleb, Logan, and Nolan; his siblings, Delores (Harold) Messmer, Lewis (Linda) Privratsky, Larry Privratsky, Mary Kay (Allen) Whitehead, Debbie (Roy) Hofland, and Jeff Privratsky; and his in-laws, Tony (Bev) Volesky, Sharon (Denis) Wells, Donna Lien, Sandra Lien, Lyle (Pat) Lien, Ruth Klein, Alton (Tammy) Lien, Rita (Bill) Frank, Kevin (Terri) Lien, Carla (Jim) Messer, and Curtis Lien. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Steve and Minnie (Binstock) Privratsky; his sister, Betty Jane Volesky; his in-laws, Harold and Dorothy (Shern) Lien, and Linda Privratsky; and his nieces and nephews, Rhonda Starling, Dustin Perfett, Cody Perfett, and Corie Lien.
Steven will be remembered for his strong work ethic, kind heart, and deep love for his family. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Miller-Carlin Funeral Homes, 3013 Roosevelt Road, St. Cloud, Minnesota. A second Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Hettinger Lutheran Church, 904 2nd Avenue South, Hettinger, North Dakota, with visitation at 10:00 AM and funeral service at 11:30 AM, with fellowship and burial to follow.
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