[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6365844,"mediaKeyId","2159760-fd0e988e62558c4a83b039db38005c2f","parentId",2159760,"title","State Library outlines compensation request, ILL bridge funding and concerns about proposed restrictions on children’s materials","audioSeconds",487,"startMs",6960000,"endMs",7447000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159760-fd0e988e62558c4a83b039db38005c2f&start=6960&end=7447","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159760-fd0e988e62558c4a83b039db38005c2f/thumbnail_6960000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6365844/North-Dakota/State-Library-outlines-compensation-request-ILL-bridge-funding-and-concerns-about-proposed-restrictions-on-childrens-materials","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365844-1927134424ee85600d08e5a728baebeb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177123&Signature=Bac2wQGpi0bkp0Vg3NwRPspFOhk1gGsOb0sdw8MIcBMBV7pkplXv85Pgw~6AEgwJjMoa1pmLdLBYIruzLbkf47gUA--evt0Y6CzS~EfJamfy2HVEUT0KSjZlUPnVnrZn~HmU7IH-fPStBVMk4hE0yeHX1V4a9SrZWcXOWshqOWkJfN8g7tuOcifAl1Sil2HIwJFo1D7e7LAfmYn2xS4x7xpVN1s~LiZIQ-V8qWFwNAXj4ZBkDrH3F9hZfvP229wsQmCXsc~Y3ebfjqqvpjS6nvlPALFOpf8qEeimUSwfuoMisYK43JEMn195D-YXwjV1x2XbiFwVyoBnPEJJMVeahA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division. ND","date","2025-01-27T00:00:00Z","article","Laurel Sain, fiscal and administrative services director for the North Dakota State Library, briefed the House Appropriations — Education and Environment Division on compensation, program funding requests and how library-related bills could affect local libraries.

Sain said the State Library’s average compensation ratio is approximately 88% of market, making it one of the lower‑paid state agencies. She described a targeted equity request for 102‑level (info services assistant) positions, noting an increase would raise the annual salary for those positions from roughly $34,990 to about $39,102 and that benefits are estimated at roughly 21% of salary.

Sain also reviewed an ILL (interlibrary loan / ILL bridge) request for $450,000 ongoing funding. She explained DPI had redirected federal funds to support the bridge in the current base and that the department had realigned its budget to match the governor’s request. She said DPI had redirected $252,000 from its current base to help support materials at the local level rather than buying new items centrally.

State Librarian Mary Susie then described concerns about a separate bill (not yet enacted) that would restrict children’s access to certain materials and, according to her testimony, could require some libraries — especially small or one‑room facilities — to build physical separation areas to block access. “The libraries do not have money to build walls,” Susie told the committee, and she said the bill’s language allowing materials to be restricted could create access challenges in single‑room community libraries.

Committee members and library staff discussed tribal libraries, carryover authority for an ongoing renovation project at the Liberty Memorial Building, and the mechanics of FTE pooling in OMB. Sain and the committee discussed a carryover request for architect fees and next-step bidding for the renovation.

Ending: Committee members suggested the state library and authoring legislators consider amendment language addressing tribal libraries and the practical implications for small libraries; staff said they would follow up on clarifications about funding sources and the FTE pool mechanics.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - Education and Environment Division Jan 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The North Dakota State Library asked the House Appropriations — Education and Environment Division for targeted equity pay increases for entry‑level library assistants, ongoing funding for an interlibrary‑loan bridge, and cautioned the committee that proposed restrictions on materials could impose unbudgeted building changes on small libraries.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Education and Environment Division, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28886,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6365855,"Appropriations committee reviews DPI budget; superintendent requests $6 million to cover school-approval contract, flags formula and ESAs",194,3205000,3399000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159760-fd0e988e62558c4a83b039db38005c2f&start=3205&end=3399","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159760-fd0e988e62558c4a83b039db38005c2f/thumbnail_3205000.jpg","/articles/6365855/North-Dakota/Appropriations-committee-reviews-DPI-budget-superintendent-requests-6-million-to-cover-school-approval-contract-flags-formula-and-ESAs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365855-2fb354cb5215d4b36975c05d3bdfdcc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177123&Signature=U7d9Yk5zWz1QSZ2lOdKgmyc6GQ96Tgk7-NDb~ww8KuzsPbEu6PGQVT3vSEUnHrTrAVFYQVQEr89uGxZixLLLswtJDvvTtxf~CJUZsLXNV6k5DXgG3V2DMF6ei3L68jLEJNtVRykx4asGgnWWXEvl9vDpWrflunAGcAJHde2bcLREDVASF64A0L3GCV-Fsgc9pZGEa~KJZxVudjSBPkRv-KsmZnWmrYMZotrEs~f4EArY82bf7Pl-4EwpdQLf9lfPPwAmNTKH6WIbaCDV2mPaWhi54I2wMtbTwvKyL0X29Lkl5OXBHCOsl~ZrfC56~KbuCRMN9S~uC4rpw-of4F1duA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Appropriations — Education and Environment Division on Jan. 5 considered the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) budget, with Superintendent Baszler urging the committee to add money to the state contract that supports the school-approval continuous improvement process and discussing multiple large formula and grant items that could change K‑12 funding this session.

Baszler told the committee the long-running contract now billed in some materials as an “accreditation” contract is correctly described as a school-approval continuous improvement contract and asked the committee to fund it centrally so districts do not have to shoulder the costs. “Accreditation is very, very different,” Baszler said, and the state should pay the contract rather than effectively clawing funds back from districts.

Baszler described a proposed increase she said would bring the contract funding to a level that avoids individual districts paying for services that should be statewide. She said the department’s ask is materially larger than recent line-item amounts and noted the figure presented to the committee is substantially higher than the amount shown in prior materials.

The hearing also reviewed multiple large line items that feed the state’s integrated funding formula, including proposals to adjust the funding-source mix between the general fund and the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund and proposals to change the per-pupil rate. Committee members and DPI staff discussed whether transfers from the Common Schools Trust Fund could be used to cover some of the increased formula costs.

Committee members raised the question of how proposed Education Savings Account (ESA) bills — separate proposals being filed in the House and Senate — would interact with the DPI budget. Baszler recommended that ESA proposals and their fiscal notes be considered separately as standalone bills and not folded into the DPI operating-budget conversation. “House Bill 10‑13 is the public school instruction and supports that we provide,” she said, asking the committee to treat ESA proposals as separate fiscal items.

Other budget items discussed included: funding to administer a summer food program; federal grant authority for a large federal literacy grant; and changes to the integrated funding formula that could reduce or reallocate hundreds of millions of dollars depending on policy choices the Legislature makes this session.

Committee members asked DPI for additional detail on revenue sources and the projected impacts of changing transfers into the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund. DPI staff said they will return with precise numbers and that several bills pending in both chambers could alter the department’s final appropriations.

The department also reviewed a long list of smaller program grants and pass-through items (adult education grants, AP exam fee coverage implemented statewide, early literacy pilots) and noted where one-time federal and carryover funds had been used in the current biennium and where state support will be needed going forward.

The committee did not take final action on any DPI line items during the hearing; members directed staff and the department to supply additional fiscal detail and to identify statutory or funding changes that would be required if the panel adopts any of the larger transfers or program increases later in the session.

Ending: The committee scheduled follow-up work and asked DPI and OMB staff to return with line-by-line fiscal impacts, including updated numbers for the Foundation Aid Stabilization Fund transfers and the school-approval contract request.","The House Appropriations — Education and Environment Division on Jan. 5 reviewed the Department of Public Instruction’s budget and heard Superintendent Baszler request a material increase for the state school‑approval continuous improvement contract while flagging possible changes to the integrated funding formula and noting that any Education Savings Account proposals should be handled as separate bills.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6365839,"Center for Distance Education testifies on enrollment, tuition and proposed bills that would limit district-paid virtual enrollment",1006,2970000,3976000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159760-fd0e988e62558c4a83b039db38005c2f&start=2970&end=3976","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159760-fd0e988e62558c4a83b039db38005c2f/thumbnail_2970000.jpg","/articles/6365839/North-Dakota/Center-for-Distance-Education-testifies-on-enrollment-tuition-and-proposed-bills-that-would-limit-district-paid-virtual-enrollment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365839-40f3cd39986d82e95bcd50908bf9f0a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177123&Signature=Svmb52Vvao4ntIsFWcFQpec~HtjPzpRa07uf~ingNlIqtrFVv4AyLrsI-scZWDmzs0BylXcNfcMTOKPf1J~zGUpSe6blY~Zh5Lnpp2vItECWPvTiy0rI4nR5PPmpUFf~H~YDIMKgruQPefyiBEk9VlQtMt0f5McJmyERheMHezC6WaB3hu8AJZAIJjlaIWwtsDurixBdZTMkq4JtNAliIsuuhpNkPhOSGUO1sHtPE6j9888KYEzO-vBf0Al~-9B97EDB~6HAj9oS3qAcpwFZq~ySUFkB~Y66NI8vIX7nXXXO90HYXxy-qOe-iR7CQLq2Ql3XYvBeENBsf6yOmUihBw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Melissa (last name not specified), representing the Center for Distance Education (CDE), and other CDE staff testified about CDE enrollment growth, tuition revenue, staffing needs and two bills before the Legislature that would change districts’ obligations to pay for students attending the state virtual program.

CDE leaders said the center has grown rapidly and now serves tens of thousands of course enrollments. At one point testimony cited headcount of about 5,000 students this year and an overall fiscal-year enrollment tally of roughly 16,500; cumulative biennial enrollment figures cited were larger. CDE presented a budget that relies on tuition revenue and requested spending authority tied to tuition growth, additional FTEs (1.2 FTE requested, with 0.8 FTE already in an optional package), and equity adjustments to staff pay.

CDE described three primary enrollment drivers that send students to the center: scheduling conflicts, lack of course availability at the local district, and a general “issues with my local school” category the center’s intake form records. Committee members and CDE staff also discussed cases where students enroll in CDE for health reasons or to escape bullying or a conflict with a local instructor.

CDE staff testified they opposed provisions in House Bill 1172 that they said would sharply limit when districts must pay for a student to attend the Center for Distance Education and that a separate bill, House Bill 1105, may be workable if amended. Under current law (cited as chapter 1519 in the hearing), the district pays for a resident student to attend the center; HB1172 would narrow district-paid enrollment to only two reasons, the center’s representatives said, which would shift costs to parents in many other cases.

The center presented revisions to its original decision packages: removing an FTE request, reducing a tuition‑waiver request, holding off on an initial ERP transition cost, and reallocating those funds toward a proposed equity package to increase staff pay. CDE also sought funding for a new military pathway curriculum and for an ERP (enterprise resource planning) replacement project, with the center noting implementation would likely begin in the second year of the biennium.

CDE staff said adjunct instructors average about $28 per hour and noted temporary salary lines expand when tuition revenue grows; they described a need to preserve a 0.8 FTE in their base budget even if the committee does not fund additional FTEs because they are already filling that position.

Ending: Committee members asked for follow-up information on enrollment projections, the mechanics of restoring FTEs from the OMB pool, and the potential fiscal impacts of HB1105 and HB1172; CDE staff said they would provide updated enrollment and budget projections and discuss potential policy fixes (enrollment windows, MOUs) to reduce mid‑semester transfers to the center.","Center for Distance Education leadership told the Appropriations Education and Environment committee about growing enrollment, budget adjustments and concerns with two bills (House Bill 1105 and House Bill 1172) that would change when districts must pay for students to attend the state's virtual school.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6365850,"North Dakota TeenPact asks committee to continue heritage grant funding to subsidize student civic program",296,410000,706000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159760-fd0e988e62558c4a83b039db38005c2f&start=410&end=706","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159760-fd0e988e62558c4a83b039db38005c2f/thumbnail_410000.jpg","/articles/6365850/North-Dakota/North-Dakota-TeenPact-asks-committee-to-continue-heritage-grant-funding-to-subsidize-student-civic-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6365850-c0a16306d30b3a11d0ef64f3356af75b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771177123&Signature=aAenKCmWQxOfMXTvaHnsK518Y9bx9mL-zxiVBcWhXa1s6Pnxh7qwvE30wbe0tXp6XUc0wpxTdO5XI1WIWiAD6b6wh6b7uJbN9ZvOeZsJvKpgTax~tWFSBmpPg-8XoVdGtMQmJhcOGxOZvzY4g0UO6C2arOzu~XdZ2IvOZm2~SneWP~5WxFfETMNHyaAn8TLtY9IgxY9CR4eoTPbyvuERYnjmOHhrHENPaHmtN3LhwHbeT67O1IUuf6iWxHZ-WFAvyhh60e-eerBmGmpoh-mWUyTCLejzpu8PIwgt7LTh~sz-VAcOlWU8G49-T5aIQ9N~q0tAF3YAbLTX-XgIctDTzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Stacy Fleckenstein, state coordinator for TeenPact North Dakota, testified to the House Appropriations — Education and Environment Division asking the committee to continue heritage grant support for the nonprofit’s in‑state civics classes. The presentation took place during the Department of Public Instruction budget hearing.

Fleckenstein described TeenPact as a national nonprofit leadership school with a state program that brings students ages 8–19 to Bismarck for a week of civic instruction, mock legislatures and campaign simulations. She told the committee the program “gives students hands on how to write a bill, present it to a committee, campaign for an office” and is open to public, private and homeschool students.

Committee staff said TeenPact had previously received $20,000 in each of the last two biennia under the cultural heritage grant program and that the DPI budget lists $34,000 for the program. Fleckenstein said the heritage grant made the program accessible by subsidizing lodging, transportation and scholarships; she told the panel that without the grant registration fees would exceed $1,000 per student and that scholarships in 2023 were allocated to 66 families.

Representative Hansen asked whether program participation is limited by religion after Fleckenstein described faith-based elements in the curriculum; Fleckenstein responded that “it is open to anyone” and that participants are not required to be Christian.

After questions about funding continuity and whether TeenPact’s state request matched prior biennium funding, committee members thanked Fleckenstein for returning to the committee and noted staff would track how the program appears in the DPI budget.

Ending: Fleckenstein concluded by saying she was available for questions; staff and members indicated they would locate the program in the budget documents and check whether the $34,000 listed aligns with previous pass-through amounts.","TeenPact state coordinator Stacy Fleckenstein told the Appropriations Education and Environment Committee that the nonprofit's in‑state classes give students hands‑on civics training and that a heritage grant has subsidized registration and travel, allowing participation by lower‑income families.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

State Library outlines compensation request, ILL bridge funding and concerns about proposed restrictions on children’s materials

Appropriations committee reviews DPI budget; superintendent requests $6 million to cover school-approval contract, flags formula and ESAs

Center for Distance Education testifies on enrollment, tuition and proposed bills that would limit district-paid virtual enrollment

North Dakota TeenPact asks committee to continue heritage grant funding to subsidize student civic program