Superintendent reports big gains in graduation rates; explains proposed Permanent School Fund amendment and local impact

Superintendent Jeremy Olsen told the board on July 20 that districtwide graduation rates have improved by 9.9 percentage points since 2022 and that graduation rates for American Indian students have risen by 16.9 points, crediting targeted advising and outreach. “I cannot be prouder of our American Indian program and what that program is doing for our students,” Olsen said, noting academic advisers and mentoring as key supports.

Olsen also gave an overview of the state Permanent School Fund, a long‑standing endowment set up in 1858 that uses revenues from public lands and mineral royalties to support public education. He said the fund’s reported value in his remarks rose from about $675 million in 2010 to roughly $2.3 billion today and described a proposed constitutional amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot to change the annual distribution from 2.5% to a 4.5% rolling‑average. Olsen said that change is projected to increase statewide distributions by about 40% and estimated Bemidji’s share would grow to approximately $127,000 annually (an updated figure from a previously reported $111,000 using older data).

Olsen emphasized the amendment would not change local tax rates, because the dollars come from fund distributions rather than new taxes, and urged the community to be aware the measure will appear on the ballot where non‑votes count as a “No.”