We are still fighting against two voucher bills, a bill that could limit tenure in higher education institutions, and a bill to create public charter schools in North Dakota.
We’re also fighting for salary increases for non-education public employees and higher education faculty and staff, as well as a fair increase for the K-12 funding formula.
As the second half of the session kicks off, we encourage everyone to prepare to advocate on behalf of public education and public employees while these crucial decisions are being made.
Vouchers
The state Legislature has advanced two of six bills that seek to establish “education savings accounts” (ESAs).
ESAs are just another name for vouchers, which would use public dollars to pay for private school tuition, a policy that North Dakota United is categorically opposed to.
SB 2400 would give $500 to all North Dakota students for “qualified educational expenses,” such as tutoring or behavioral health services.
Private school students would receive more than their public-school peers: Private school families whose household income is less than 300% of the poverty level would receive $3,500 per student, those whose household income is less than 500% of the poverty level would receive $2,000.
HB 1540 would provide just over $4,000 to each private-school student.
ND United is fighting hard to defeat these bills.
Lifetime Teacher Licensure
HB 1238 would lower the years required for lifetime teacher licensure from 30 years to 20 years.
After several NDU members submitted testimony in favor of the bill, it passed the House overwhelmingly. The same thing happened in 2023, but the bill died in the Senate by one vote.
We at NDU believe this bill is a no-brainer: a simple first step toward improving teacher retention by demonstrating appreciation for the professionalism of our state’s educators.
Property Taxes
Just like most North Dakotans, ND United supports meaningful property tax relief, and the state Legislature is pursuing several avenues to accomplish just that.
The House has advanced three bills to address this issue: HB 1168, which would reduce what residents pay in property taxes for school districts by about 16% (and require the state to pick up the bill for the missing funding).
It would also institute year-over-year caps, which means increases in property tax levies would be limited to 3% for all local tax districts each year. HB 1176 also includes a 3% cap and would increase the yearly property tax credit from $500 to $1,450 for primary residences.
HB 1575 would reduce taxable value of all categories and includes a 3% cap.
As of now, we expect HB 1176 will be the vehicle. We know tax language isn’t exactly exciting, but the takeaway from this section is simple: They are doing something about property taxes.
School Meals
According to a poll we ran in December 2024, four out of five North Dakotans want the state to provide universal free school meals to our state’s students.
Our state legislators don’t see it that way:
HB 1475 was rejected by a 39-54 vote in the House. We are disappointed, but hopeful we can at least improve upon legislation from last session, which provided free meals to families who were at or below 200% of the poverty line.
K-12 Funding
Things look bleak for K-12 funding: the Legislature now seems to be working with 2% increases for each year of the coming biennium.
As we all know, K-12 budget increases are not increases in teacher salaries. Since the costs of running a school increase as inflation increases, the budget increases will likely not be reflected in teacher salaries when negotiations roll around this spring.
That’s why we plan to keep fighting for higher increases.
Tenure in Higher Education
HB 1437 has been amended from its original version, but we still oppose it. The original bill sought to eliminate tenure for new faculty at North Dakota’s two-year institutions. The version passed by the House would require all public higher education institutions to develop and adopt a tenure review policy, as outlined in the bill.
We are opposed to the new version of this bill because it enshrines higher education policy in North Dakota Century Code instead of allowing the State Board of Higher Education to set its own policies. It also sets parameters for the makeup of post-tenure review committees that restrict the ability of institutions to include subject matter experts and effectively evaluate faculty.
We believe higher education institutions and the SBHE should have the flexibility to govern themselves without interference from the Legislature.
Pension, Healthcare for Public Employees
Several state agencies’ salary budgets have received 3% increases for each year of the biennium. Several bills have advanced that would appropriate funds to the unfunded liability for the PERS defined-benefit plan, which the 2023 Legislature closed to new employees.
For example, HB 1234 would transfer $135 million from the strategic investment and improvements fund to the PERS pension plan.
The Senate passed SB 2160, which would require the NDPERS health insurance plan to include Affordable Care Act large employer group mandated coverage. Several new preventative services will be covered with no cost-sharing responsibilities for state active members and non-Medicare retiree members, including the following:
- 100% coverage for breast pumps
- Expanded coverage for childcare wellness visits
- Contraceptive medications regardless of formulary status
- Tobacco cessation
- Colonoscopies
- Cancer screenings without any service limits.
Previously, these services were either not fully covered or had restrictions. Our concern with this bill is that would open the door for future Legislatures to require employees to pay health insurance premiums (currently, these groups do not pay premiums).
In fact, an amendment to introduce employee premium payments was added but later removed. Members on Political Subdivisions’ plans and the Medicare population will not see changes to coverage. For more details about SB 2160, refer to NDPERS Executive Director Rebecca Fricke’s neutral testimony.
Additionally, the House also passed HB 1283, which provides free diagnostic breast examinations and supplemental breast examinations for employees on NDPERS healthcare plans.
Book Bans
In 2023, the Legislature passed a bill requiring the removal of sexually explicit content from children’s sections of public libraries.
Now, SB 2307 would expand that law to include school libraries. It would require libraries to review their catalogue, and a library found to be in violation would have 10 days to comply or the library could lose state funding as a result. The bill also allows a state’s attorney to prosecute for failure to comply. It passed the Senate by a vote of 27-20.
Several legislators have expressed concerns that this could cost their local school districts millions of dollars. The House passed HB 1144 by a vote of 73-18.
Looking Forward: ND4PS
North Dakota United is part of a brand-new coalition aimed at protecting and strengthening public education in North Dakota: North Dakotans for Public Schools will fight against harmful policies like voucher schemes that divert resources away from public schools.
The coalition brings together educators, parents, school boards and concerned citizens to amplify the voices of those who understand the critical role public schools play in shaping the future of North Dakota’s children and communities.
Follow them on Facebook and sign up for updates online, and encourage your network to do the same!
