Frequently Asked Questions

Using the most recent taxing information for the district, including district valuations this is the estimated tax impact for residential property.

A referendum is usually financed for 20 years. The amounts listed above would be the projected tax impact during the first year. As Bismarck grows and its tax base increases, the tax impact on individual properties will decrease.

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No. The facility plan currently being discussed was not created in response to the recent property tax rebate. Bismarck Public Schools has been working from a long-range facility planning process that dates back several years, including updates to the district’s Long-Range Facility Plan and ongoing evaluations of building conditions, enrollment patterns, and program needs.

The timing of the proposal is primarily tied to identified facility needs across the district, including aging building systems, safety improvements, and learning environment updates that cannot reasonably be addressed through the district’s regular operating budget.

While the state’s property tax rebate may affect what homeowners see on their tax statements in the near term, it did not drive the development of this facility plan. The district’s focus has been on responsibly planning for the long-term maintenance and improvement of school facilities so they continue to serve students and the community well into the future.

That being said, we also acknowledge that many taxpayers have seen reductions in their tax statements that will be much larger than what we are seeking with this referendum.

No. House bill 1029 passed by the 2007 ND Legislature prohibits school districts from benefiting from sales tax revenue. As the law is currently written, a sales tax cannot be used for school buildings. Unfortunately the only legal option available to schools is to repay borrowed dollars (bonds) through property tax collection.

The district’s General Fund is used primarily for the day-to-day operation of schools, with the large majority of those dollars supporting staff salaries and benefits.

In addition, recent North Dakota legislation limits General Fund growth to 3% per year, which restricts how much the district’s operating budget can increase. Because of this, the GF does not have the capacity to support large facility repairs or construction projects without affecting school operations. For that reason, districts typically use bond referendums to fund major building needs, allowing the General Fund to remain focused on educating students and operating schools.

Are you aware of the Homestead Property Tax Credit available to eligible North Dakotans? Individuals may qualify for a property tax credit if they are 65 years of age or older OR have a permanent and total disability.

For additional information and to see if you qualify, visit Homestead Property Tax Credit and Renter's Refund.

Are you aware of the 2025 Primary Residence Property Tax Credit. The Primary Residence Credit (PRC) provides North Dakota homeowners with the opportunity to apply annually for a state property tax credit through the North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner. Homeowners who qualify through an approved application may receive up to $1,600 against their property tax obligation.

To be eligible for the credit, you must own a home (house, mobile home, town home, duplex, or condo) in North Dakota and reside in it as your primary residence. Homes held in trusts also qualify. There are no age restrictions or income limitations for this credit. Only one Primary Residence Credit is available per household.

For additional information and to see if you qualify, visit Primary Residence Credit

School districts are legally obligated to use referendum funds strictly for the purposes outlined in the referendum documentation that was presented to voters. These funds cannot be diverted to unrelated projects or expenses. When a district puts forth a referendum, it specifies how the money will be used, whether for facility improvements, technology upgrades, staffing, or other educational needs. Once approved, state laws and financial oversight mechanisms ensure that the district follows through on these commitments.

BPS works to ensure that all students, staff, and visitors can access our schools. However, some of our buildings were constructed many years ago, before current accessibility standards were in place.

While these schools meet basic requirements, some areas may still present challenges such as limited elevator access, older restroom configurations, or building layouts that make movement through the building more difficult for individuals with mobility needs. Noted areas of concern are:

• Will-Moore Elementary - no elevator, inaccessible bathrooms
• Pioneer Elementary - no elevator
• Prairerose Elementary - no elevator
• Grimsrud / Will-Moore - inaccessible bathrooms

Including accessibility improvements in the facility plan allows the district to modernize buildings to better meet current accessibility expectations, ensuring that all students, staff, and visitors can fully participate in school activities and programs.

The simple answer is yes. In 2013 the district had 1,332 students being served on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), in 2025 that number is now 2,185. That is 853 more students and a 64% increase.

We also have an increasing number of students who do not speak English as their first language. The programs also require smaller, more personal, learning spaces. Similar to needs within student support services.

The proposed improvements to the Century High School auditorium are not about cosmetics. They are about function, access, and providing equitable opportunities for students.

Right now, the CHS space was not designed to support a full theatre program, and those limitations are impacting students and our community today. It lacks key elements that are standard in performance spaces, including stage wings for entrances and exits, an orchestra pit, and flexible space like a black box for instruction and smaller performances. It also does not have fly capacity, which is the system above the stage that allows curtains, scenery, and lighting to be safely raised, lowered, and stored out of sight, making set changes more difficult and limiting what productions can realistically include.

These design limitations affect both learning and performances. The current rigging and lighting systems are outdated and difficult to adjust, restricting the use of modern stage design. There is no scene shop, so sets must be built on the stage itself and taken down daily, reducing instructional opportunities and limiting what can be created. Musicians perform from another room because there is no orchestra pit, and the sound booth is not enclosed or properly located, impacting overall production quality. Even audience access is affected—last year, during Elf the Musical, over 75 patrons were turned away from three of the four performances due to limited seating.

As CHS Drama Director Shelly Kinn shared:
“We are extremely limited in what we can build, how we can teach, and what our students can experience. Our students are doing incredible work, but the space does not allow them to fully learn or perform at the level they are capable of.”

There are also important accessibility considerations. Currently, individuals using a wheelchair are often forced to position themselves in the main center aisle, the same pathway used by others to enter and exit the auditorium. There is no designated seating area that allows family or friends to sit alongside them, meaning they often experience performances alone or separated from their group. That is not the experience we want for members of our community.

When we look across our district, students at BHS and LHS have access to spaces that fully support their programs. Our goal is to ensure that students at CHS have that same opportunity, not something extra, but something comparable.

This project is about aligning our facilities with the expectations we have for our programs and the experiences we want for students. It’s about equity, functionality, and community access, not aesthetics.

• Our Oldest Building - Bismarck High School (92 yrs old)
• Our Newest Building - Silver Ranch Career Academy (<1 yrs old)
• Average Age for BPS = 47 yrs old
• 32 Campuses/Buildings
• Over 3 million square feet of floor space
• Over 2 million square feet of roofs
• ~900,000 square feet of sidewalks and over 3 million square feet of parking lots
• Over 2000 sinks and 1500 toilets
• Over 400 acres of land

When we talk about equitable learning spaces, we are referring to the idea that students across the district should have access to similar quality learning environments and the appropriate number of spaces needed to support student learning, regardless of which school they attend.

Over time, schools are built in different eras and under different standards. As a result, the conditions inside classrooms and learning spaces can vary from building to building. Equitable learning spaces means students learning in rooms with sufficient lighting, good air filtration and air exchange, reliable heating and cooling, and comfortable, well-maintained environments. It also includes the smaller details, things like updated flooring or carpet and spaces that feel clean and supportive of learning. Those environmental factors play an important role in helping students focus and helping teachers do their best work.

In some cases, the issue is not just the quality of the space but the number of learning spaces available. A good example is physical education space at Century High School. Because of limited gym and activity space, the school does not always have the same flexibility to offer the same number of PE or health sections as other high schools. That can limit scheduling options for students and sometimes creates challenges when students are trying to fit required courses alongside electives and advanced coursework.

In short, equitable learning spaces are about ensuring that students across the district have comparable opportunities to learn, participate in programs, and build their schedules, no matter which Bismarck Public School they attend.

If approved by voters, the district estimates the work would take approximately 3–4 years to complete. Because the plan includes projects at many schools, the work would be phased so it can be completed in an organized and responsible way.

The first phase would focus on refining the design and preparing detailed architectural drawings for each project. While the district has identified the scope of the work through the long-range facility planning process, additional design work is necessary before construction can begin.

We also recognize that a project of this size will place demands on local construction resources. The availability of contractors and skilled trades such as electricians, HVAC specialists, and plumbers will influence the pace at which work can be completed. These professionals play a critical role in the actual construction process, and their availability is an important factor in scheduling.

For those reasons, the district anticipates the improvements would be completed over a 3–4 year period, allowing time for proper design, bidding, and construction while maintaining quality work and minimizing disruption to school operations.

Growth on the south side of Bismarck has been one of the key considerations in the district’s long-range facility planning. The Solheim attendance area has experienced significant residential development in recent years, and projections indicate that this area will continue to grow. Families and neighbors have expressed many concerns about the growing number of portables the district has at Solheim and Moses.

While our plan does not include the construction of a new elementary school, it does identify the need to address crowding and portables at both Solheim & Moses. The proposed plan would be to construct additions to both buildings to accommodate present enrollment and slight growth as projected by RSP.

By addressing growth proactively, the district can help ensure that schools remain appropriately sized, learning environments remain supportive for students and staff, and families in growing neighborhoods have access to quality school facilities close to home.

The district has 18 portables present used for classrooms, specialty classrooms or storage. Presently both Moses & Solheim have 2 portables each.

Overall district enrollment and the added costs of operting an additional school, including staffing it, are both reasons we are not considering for this option.

Adjusting attendance boundaries is one tool the district uses to help manage enrollment, and it is something we will continue to review as our community grows. However, in the case of the south side of Bismarck, particularly around Solheim and Moses Elementary, boundary changes alone do not fully address the situation.

Both schools are already serving large numbers of students and currently rely on portable classrooms to accommodate enrollment. Those portables are a clear indication that the buildings are already operating beyond their original capacity. Shifting boundaries in this area would often mean moving students from one full school to another that is also nearing capacity, which does not solve the underlying space needs.

We also recognize that the community has consistently expressed strong support for neighborhood schools. Families generally prefer that students attend the school closest to their home rather than being reassigned and bused to another part of town.

The facility plan connected to the referendum is designed to address growth where it is actually occurring, allowing schools in those areas to better serve the students already there while supporting continued growth in the community.

One of the goals of the facility plan is to enhance community use of our school facilities, particularly at the elementary level. In several schools, the plan includes the addition of multi-purpose spaces that provide more flexibility for both school and community activities.

During the school day, these spaces help address operational needs by improving lunch schedules and providing additional space for physical education, which reduces situations where two classes must share the same gym at the same time. This is common in a couple schools, one being Solheim.

Beyond the school day, these multi-purpose areas can also create additional capacity for after-school programming, which is often limited today due to space constraints in some buildings. This could support opportunities for enrichment activities, youth programming, and partnerships that serve students and families in the community. By designing spaces that serve multiple purposes, the district can better support students during the school day while also expanding opportunities for community use after school hours.

This program brings locally grown products from farms in our area to our schools to be served as part of the hot breakfast/lunch program. Presently the district uses locally sourced beef, cucumbers, sweet corn, watermelon, and other fruits and vegetables. This program helps us provide safe and nutritious meals to our students.

Last year the district processed 500 dozen ears of sweet corn, that were later served to our students.

If the district had capacity to process more beef, we anticipate using 35-38 thousand pounds annually.