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School Board:
There are five members on the Bismarck School Board who are elected for four-year terms. Elections are held in June. The board members for 2011-2012 are Lawrence King, president; Paul Govig, vice president; Scott Halvorson, Steve Marquardt, and Matt Sagsveen, members. The Board holds regular meetings the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 5:15 p.m. in the Tom Baker Room at the City/County Building at 221 N. 5th Street. Watch the meetings live on cable government channel 2.
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School Day:
Elementary schools (grades 1-6) start at 8:30 a.m. and end at approximately 3:00 p.m., depending on the size of the grade school, length of the lunch hour, and bus schedules. Middle schools (grades 7-9) typically start at 8:10 a.m. and end at 3:20 p.m. Senior highs (grades 10-12) run from 8:25 a.m. to 3:28 p.m.
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Senior High:
Bismarck has two comprehensive high schools. CHS opened in 1976 and had a population of 1,213 students on opening day 2011-2012. The present BHS structure built in 1934 was remodeled in the 1990's, and had 1,316 students on the first day of school this year. South Central High School is an alternative senior high started in 1983 for students who have dropped out of a conventional high school. The schedule at SCHS is more flexible, and classes are smaller so students receive more individualized instruction; 74 students were signed up on the first day of school this fall. Total senior high enrollment (grades 10-12) at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year was 2,599. Call the senior high schools or the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary and Curriculum, (701) 323-4073, for more information.
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The Special Education Department provides special education and related services to over 1,311 individuals with disabilities ages 3-21. Individualized Education Program (IEP) planning teams determines eligibility for services. Our goal is to support the education of students with disabilities in the general education environment. Call (701) 323-4029.
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Sports:
See Extracurricular
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Student Handbooks:
Elementary and senior high schools have handbooks, which contain more detailed information about individual school policies and curriculum. Middle school policies are contained in their student planners.
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Students In Transition/Homeless:
Bismarck Public Schools is committed to ensuring that children and youth who are homeless have access to quality education. Eligible families or youth are those who lack a stable, adequate, and permanent place to sleep at night. If you or people you know are living in make-shift conditions (motel, car, camper, tent, or with relatives/friends) until they can afford a place of their own, the Students in Transition program can help. Call (701) 323-4051.
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Summer School:
In grades 1-6, there is a 6-week summer program called Camp Edventure designed to boost academic success of all elementary students. It runs from 8 am to noon daily and is state funded and free to students. Classes are no larger than 15 students per teacher. For more information on elementary summer school, call (701) 323-4200. Middle schools and senior highs offer a growing number of free summer school classes in June and July, based on student demand and teacher availability. There is a waiting list, so students are encouraged to register early (January-February) at their schools.
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On a median $100,000 home, the average taxpayer would pay about $640 in school taxes. The average cost to educate a child in Bismarck in 2009-2010 was $8,348 compared with the same year's North Dakota average of $9,812.
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Teacher Training:
The district is committed to hiring and retaining the best staff possible. Since hundreds of teachers apply for a limited number of openings each year, the school system is able to hire qualified, experienced teachers. The district provides many courses and in-service opportunities so teachers can improve their instructional skills. In Bismarck Public Schools, 41% of teachers have masters degrees or above.
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Test Scores:
Bismarck students consistently do well on national standardized tests. For example, the most recent American College Test (ACT) composite scores for high school seniors for 2009-2010 were as follows: BHS = 21.4.; CHS = 22.3; ND = 21.5; USA = 21.0. A perfect ACT score is 36. Few Bismarck seniors take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) because it is not required for admission to most Midwest colleges and universities.
Also, most BPS students score in the proficient or advanced ranges on the North Dakota State Assessment (NDSA), and they outscore state averages of other N.D. students.
Oct. 2010 Reading Math Science
Grade ND/BPS ND/BPS ND/BPS
3 81%/81% 87%/88% -------------
4 75%/78% 81%/80% 68%/66%
5 71%/77% 80%/83% -------------
6 79%/83% 82%/82% -------------
7 78%/80% 74%/77% -------------
8 76%/82% 71%/77% 64%/72%
11 65%/70% 59%/64% 62%/62%
The above scores represent students who are proficient or advanced in math, reading and science on the State Assessment. Scores include all students participating in the NDSA, including students with disabilities who were tested with accommodations. ND Alternate Assessment scores are not included in these calculations.
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Transfers Between Schools in Bismarck:
Students who live in Bismarck and want to attend a Bismarck public school outside of the attendance area in which they live must complete a Transfer Request Form. K-12 forms are available by contacting the Central Registration office, (701-323-4110 or going online to www.bismarckschools.org. Requests are approved on a space-available or needs basis.
For more information, call the Assistant Superintendent of Elementary, (701) 323-4069, or the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary, (701) 323-4073. There is no open enrollment for students living outside of Bismarck.
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Transportation:
Bismarck Public Schools provides free transportation to 6 elementary schools, Centennial, Miller, Murphy, Myhre, Northridge, and Solheim, and all 3 public middle schools, depending on how far the student lives from school.
BPS also buses preschool children, qualified special education students, and youth who live outside of the city limits (rural). Classroom teachers occasionally schedule field trips as part of the learning experience. Buses for field trips are scheduled according to availability. If the Transportation Office cannot provide a bus for a field trip, parents are usually asked to drive. Our district also provides transportation for many out-of-town extracurricular activities.
For BPS transportation information, call (701) 323-4502.
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Vocational Education:
See Career and Technical Education
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