North Dakota
Supporters of charter schools coming to North Dakota say it's 'all about choice'
FARGO — For Amber Vogel, the establishment of charter schools in North Dakota can’t happen soon enough.
Her daughter, Abby,
loves the alternative learning style of Fargo Public Schools’ Self-Directed Academy,
which she’ll leave behind when moving on to ninth grade at South High School this fall.
“I don’t have any other high school options besides a traditional public school, which is crazy considering I live in the largest community in the state,” Amber Vogel said.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
Those new options are coming, with the North Dakota Legislature’s approval of Senate Bill 2241,
signed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong in late April.
Shelby Doyle, senior VP of policy and national partnerships at the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, said North Dakota has been a “white whale” for public charter schools, finally joining the 46 other states that offer them.
Ironically, its neighbor to the east, Minnesota, was the birthplace of public charter schools more than 30 years ago.
“I have always wondered, has North Dakota ever looked over that border and thought to themselves, ‘That’s interesting,’” Doyle said.
The law takes effect Aug. 1, requiring charter schools to be part of the state’s public education system.
The process to establish them, though, is detailed and includes required timelines for public transparency and accountability, according to Dale Wetzel of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction.
Several informal inquiries have come in from teachers who are in discussions with potential sponsors in small and mid-size communities, but no formal proposals are yet under review, he said.
Given the time needed to complete rulemaking and implementation, Wetzel said the department does not anticipate a charter school opening for the 2025–2026 school year.
Doyle said even so, the charter school timeline could “sneak up” on people.
“If the first ones open their doors in the fall of 2027, the application process will start in 2026. That’s not terribly far away, especially when you’re planning for your child,” she said.
Speaking to The Forum from her organization’s home base in Nashville, Tennessee, Doyle said public charter schools are always open to the public and have no cost of admittance.
They may be set up in community centers, strip malls, former retail stores and converted industrial or office spaces.
They’re similar to traditional public schools, she said, in that they have the same academic assessments, must hire licensed teachers and provide transportation.
But charter schools differ in many important ways.
They’re typically run by a third party, which must have a performance contract with their state on results they plan to deliver for their “charter” to run a public school, she said.
While they’re publicly funded and must accommodate all students, they’re allowed to differentiate their offerings in terms of theme, focus or style of learning.
And, each charter school has its own independent board of directors that deals with day-to-day governance.
Per-pupil state funding follows each student to the charter school at which they’re enrolled.
Doyle said people need not worry about public school districts losing funds by some students moving to charter schools.
“While it can absolutely change the ecosystem … nowhere have we seen just a widespread disappearance of a public school system where charter schools have moved in,” Doyle said.
More than 180 charter schools operate in Minnesota,
she said, making up more than 7% of the K-12 student population. While the majority are located in the Twin Cities area, they are spread across the state, in cities, rural areas and on Native American reservations.
Charter schools closest to Fargo-Moorhead are in Park Rapids and Alexandria.
The Minnesota schools are often focused on science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, as well as those with arts added, or STEAM. Language immersion programs are also popular choices for charter schools, Doyle said.
Charter schools often offer online or hybrid options, as well.
“There was a huge reshuffling nationwide in school choices overall during the pandemic, and that’s been something that stuck,” she said.
Doyle said charter schools will be as good of an option as people in North Dakota make them.
“Nobody is going to just drop charter schools in your community … It’s going to take real grassroots energy for these schools to start and to be successful,” she said.
Vogel said she hopes multiple charter schools pop up as possible choices for her daughter.
“It gives families options to put their child in an environment that makes sense for them to learn in, so it’s all about choice for me,” she said.
BISMARCK — The North Dakota Attorney General’s Office is cautioning homeowners to be on the lookout for asphalt-paving scams.
Homeowners may be approached by unannounced illegitimate contractors claiming to be “working in the area” with “excess material” for purchase at a discounted price, with same-day decisions encouraged, a news release stated. Contractors may demand a large upfront payment, in which case they may simply leave town or begin working immediately, insisting on payment as soon as work is completed.
The work will be low-quality and easily identifiable as a scam, the release said. False contractors may even use intimidation or threats for quick payment before work can be inspected.
Homeowners should be cautious of anyone offering unsolicited paving work, especially if they claim to have leftover material at a discounted price.
The office provided the following tips to avoid falling victim to a scam:
- Research any contractor before hiring
- Ask detailed questions about the business
- Get all estimates and terms in writing
- Avoid making full payment up front
- Avoid using cash and mobile payment apps
“Pay attention if your intuition tells you that an offer appears too good to be true, because it likely is,” North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in the release.
Consumers with questions or who suspect they may have been targeted by an asphalt-paving scam should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at (701) 328-3404.
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.
FARGO — As North Dakota voters cast their ballots for the June primary election, choosing candidates won’t be the only decision they’ll face.
Voters will also decide whether future ballot measures must be composed of just a single subject.
The Legislature placed the matter on the ballot in 2025, when it passed
Senate Concurrent Resolution 4007.
Some lawmakers argue the measure, if passed, will work in favor of voters by making future amendments more digestible and less jumbled for voter comprehension.
Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, one of the lawmakers in favor of the measure, said it would prevent any “bait and switch” tactics to pass unpopular amendments against the wishes of unassuming voters. Hogue sponsored the legislative resolution that placed the measure on the ballot.
The Seante passed the resolution with outspoken support, only one lawmaker voted no. However, the resolution faced more resistance in the House, passing in a vote of 57-36.
If passed, the resolution would require the Secretary of State’s office to verify that future amendments meet the single-subject requirement.
One outspoken voice in opposition of the resolution is House Minority Leader Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks, who said he voted against the resolution fearing it would introduce a “layer of bureaucratic review” to the ruling process. Ista also added there is not clear criteria for determining what meets the requirement.
“I think in North Dakota, if we entrust the secretary of state and attorney general of being the sole arbiters of what is and is not a single subject, that’s really going to handcuff voter initiatives in the state,” Ista said.
Contrary to this, Hogue feels the resolution would not require any complex review to determine whether or not future amendments meet the single rule requirement.
“I don’t think it’s a legal judgment. I think if you’re trying to pass two different measures in one, that’s a common-sense judgment.” Hogue said.
Measure 1 is the first of four constitutional amendments on the North Dakota ballot for this upcoming election cycle, three of which won’t be voted on until this November.
Early voting in some counties begins Tuesday, June 2. Election Day is Tuesday, June 9.
How Measure 1 will appear on the ballot
“This constitutional measure would amend and reenact section 9 of article III and section 16 of article IV of the Constitution of North Dakota, relating to requiring each resolution adopted by the legislative assembly proposing a constitutional amendment and each initiative petition and measure proposing a constitutional amendment be comprised of a single subject. The proposed amendment is summarized as follows: constitutional amendments would be limited to one subject. The Secretary of State shall not approve an initiative petition for circulation if the Secretary determines that the proposed amendment comprises more than one subject. Additionally, the legislative assembly is required to limit proposed amendments to the constitution to one subject.
“The estimated fiscal impact of this measure is none.”
Text via the North Dakota Secretary of State’s office.
Brennan Collins is a reporting intern who started at The Forum in May 2026.
MCHENRY, N.D. — A 58-year-old man was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash Saturday, May 30, south of Devils Lake.
According to the North Dakota Highway Patrol, a Neche man was riding a 2017 Harley Davidson Tri Glide Ultra Trike eastbound on Highway 15 at an unknown speed, 11 miles northwest of McHenry. The trike struck an area of broken payment and rolled over.
The driver was not wearing a helmet and was seriously injured. He was taken by air ambulance to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo.
The Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
McHenry is located in Foster County, roughly equidistant between Jamestown and Devils Lake.
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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