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Belcourt board considers reclassifying alternative program as standalone alternative school
Summary
The Belcourt Board of Education discussed a proposal to reclassify its alternative education 'program' as an 'alternative school,' a change that would require a distinct curriculum, a designated administrator and formal accreditation; funding questions and building readiness were raised and the application to the Bureau of Indian Education was referenced.
The Belcourt Board of Education opened discussion on a recommendation from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction to convert the district’s existing alternative program into an alternative school. A staff member said the shift would require its own curriculum, an open enrollment policy (with Belcourt students receiving priority) and a designated building administrator.
"Alternative school will have its its own curriculum," the staff member said, adding that students attending from other districts would still graduate from their home high schools when appropriate. The presentation noted a planned facility capacity of about 125 students and described the initial administrative assignment as an internal designee rather than an immediate new hire.
Board members questioned timing and capacity. One board member asked whether the district should wait until the new building is completed rather than reclassify while operating in existing, limited space. Another member pressed how funding would be handled and whether the alternative school would receive separate allocations similar to elementary, middle or high school budgets.
Staff replied that current federal and state funding arrangements would largely follow existing formulas and that Indian School Equalization Formula (ISF) funding was a key driver. The presenter said the district had submitted or planned to file an application to the Bureau of Indian Education and that officials expect ISF allocations to remain stable in the near term, though longer-term federal changes could introduce uncertainty.
The board recorded a motion to approve the reclassification and a second during the meeting, but the available transcript does not include a complete roll-call tally or a definitive recorded outcome in the captured segments. The board also discussed that accreditation for an alternative school will be required in the future and that staffing changes could be reassigned from current administrators rather than creating immediate new positions.
Next steps discussed included completing the school-approval application and, if necessary, revisiting staffing or reclassification decisions after enrollment and facility capacity are clearer.
