North Dakota

School choice task force should hold meetings in public

Published

1 year ago

August 24, 2024

School choice task force should hold meetings in public

On Aug. 14, I watched with great interest the interim Education Committee meeting that took place at the state Capitol. Toward the end of the meeting, committee Chair Sen. Michelle Axtman updated the committee on the work of the school choice task force (SCTF). Axtman went on to say that the task force “is not legislatively driven” and has met “multiple times.” Excellent reporting by Amy Dalrymple in the North Dakota Monitor notes that the SCTF has met three times, and Axtman has indicated that it will meet in the future as the task force inches “closer to really cementing what possible legislation would look like.”

According to Axtman, because this committee/task force “is not legislatively driven,” this group does not have to post notifications of its meetings, open the meetings to the public, produce minutes of the meetings, or otherwise comply with our state’s open meetings requirements. I know she is following the advice of the director of Legislative Council, but that advice is causing many people in North Dakota — including members of Axtman’s interim Education Committee — great concern about transparency.

I am not surprised to learn that “school choice” is being studied this interim. When the Legislature narrowly passed HB 1532 then failed to override Gov. Doug Burgum’s veto of that voucher bill, it was clear that the proponents of giving public dollars to private, parochial and homeschools would be back with another plan to accomplish their goal.

What I am surprised about, however, is that an ad hoc “not legislatively driven” task force is doing the work of drafting legislation to be considered, rather than a subcommittee of the interim Education Committee. Section 13 of

SB 2284

says “… the legislative management shall study school choice models,” yet, the SCTF that Sen. Axtman has referenced includes just three of the interim Education Committee’s 21 members. It is worth noting that the lobbyist for the State Association of Nonpublic Schools and the vice president of academic affairs for the Light of Christ Catholic Schools, among others, have seats at the table as the SCTF gets “closer to really cementing what possible legislation would look like.”

Now, while I disagree with the notion that North Dakota taxpayers should be paying to support private and parochial schools in North Dakota, I welcome the discussion. But that discussion should occur in public, not in secrecy. Just because one can hold “not legislatively driven” meetings in private, does not mean that one should. When legislation is being crafted that will impact something as important as the education of our children, why wouldn’t all of us want to see how that legislation develops?

The closed-to-the-public meetings lead North Dakotans to question the motives of those involved. The Department of Public Instruction ought not be using taxpayer monies to pay the Hunt Institute to facilitate private legislator retreats or this “not legislatively driven” task force that are not open to the public. It is not a good look for DPI, Hunt or our legislators.

Look, I believe Axtman when she says that she and the others are working hard to improve education for all students. I know her to be an honorable and resolute public servant. All I would ask, however, is for that work to be done in public with an opportunity for all voices on the matter to be heard.

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North Dakota

Bankruptcies for North Dakota and western Minnesota published Jan. 10, 2026

Published

5 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court

North Dakota

Kaitlyn Grace Lucier, Fargo, Chapter 7

Samuel Todd Hicks, formerly known as Thomas Samuel Hicks, Fargo, Chapter 7

Teresa and Dominik Renwick, Fargo, Chapter 13

Susan Renee Fuller, formerly known as Susan R. Schaffer, doing business as Susie’s Sparkling Cleaning Service, Fargo, Chapter 7

Shannon Lynn Taylor, Fargo, Chapter 7

Jesse Patrick and Jaime Elizabeth Brown, Williston, Chapter 7

Kerri Lee Weishaar, Minot, Chapter 7

Terry Marie Moritz, Valley City, Chapter 7

Joshua Allen Sewill, Hatton, Chapter 7

Bryan Eugene Flecker, Minot, Chapter 7

Anna Marie Rahm, formerly known as Anna Marie Tanner, and Joshua Edward Rahm, Bismarck, Chapter 13

Sherri Rae Fisher, Baldwin, Chapter 13

Heather Lynn McElroy, formerly known as Heather Anderson, Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Kaitlyn Autrey, Grand Forks, Chapter 7

Michelle Lynn Miller, Fargo, Chapter 13

Kimberly Georgeann Callahan, Fargo, Chapter 13

Erin Elaine and Jose Luiz Murphy, Bismarck, Chapter 7

Shelly and Kieth Quimby, St. Thomas, Chapter 7

Minnesota

Bankruptcy filings from the following counties: Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, Polk, Traverse, Wadena and Wilkin.

David Howard Gilpin, Osakis, Chapter 7

Timothy Virgil Hoag, Moorhead, Chapter 7

Jason Darryl Dykhoff, Ottertail, Chapter 7

Zachary Nicholas Hodgson and Jolynn Beth Warnes, formerly known as Jolynn Beth Hodgson, Kensington, Chapter 7

Riley Matthew Hinman, Alexandria, Chapter 7

Layne Christopher Condiff, Park Rapids, Chapter 13

Thomas Beecher Hoyer, Menahga, Chapter 13

Christine Karen Jakubek, also known as Cristine Anderson, Chapter 7

Chapter 7 is a petition to liquidate assets and discharge debts.

Chapter 11 is a petition for protection from creditors and to reorganize.

Chapter 12 is a petition for family farmers to reorganize.

Chapter 13 is a petition for wage earners to readjust debts.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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North Dakota

Hoeven, Armstrong, Traynor speak on OBBB Rural Health Transformation Fund updates in ND

Published

17 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Hoeven, Armstrong, Traynor speak on OBBB Rural Health Transformation Fund updates in ND

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – On Friday, North Dakota U.S. Senator John Hoeven, Governor Kelly Armstrong and Health and Human Services Commissioner Pat Traynor explained how the state plans to use millions of dollars from the Big Beautiful Bill’s Rural Health Transformation Fund to transform healthcare across the state.

They spoke extensively about the special session to allocate the funds, and confirmed that it is still tentatively set for Jan. 21.

The Big Beautiful Bill allocated $25 billion for rural healthcare nationwide. North Dakota received $500 million for five years and $200 million for the first year. There is still another $25 billion left to be spent, and North Dakota is hoping to receive an extra $500 million.

“I truly believe that with the plan we’re putting in place and the things we built that line up with that, we’ll get a billion dollars over five years,” said Hoeven.

Federal rules require the state to lock in contracts for the money by October first— a deadline officials say is driving the need for a special session.

In the first year, North Dakota will focus on retention grants to keep existing staff, technical assistance and consultants for rural hospitals, as well as telehealth equipment and home patient monitoring.

A KFYR+ exclusive

Governor Armstrong says the special session will include policy bills tied to how much federal rural health funding the state can earn.

“We’re going to have a physical fitness test for physical education courses, nutrition education, continuing education requirement for physicians, physician assistant licensure compact—which North Dakota has been doing, dealing with that since the heart of the oil boom and moving forward—and then an expanded scope of practice for pharmacists,” said Armstrong.

Hundreds of millions of dollars could reshape healthcare in rural North Dakota, and state leaders say the next few weeks are key to receiving and spending that money wisely.

The governor says he only wants to focus on bills related to the Rural Health Transformation Program during the special session and doesn’t intend to deal with other state issues during that time.

Politicians outline plans for ND Rural Health Transformation Program

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North Dakota

North Dakota officials celebrate being among big winners in federal rural health funding

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

North Dakota officials celebrate being among big winners in federal rural health funding

North Dakota U.S. Sen. John Hoeven and Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Friday touted the success of the state’s application for federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding, which landed one of the largest per-capita awards in the nation.

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