State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler on Wednesday invited North Dakotans from two groups of counties to apply for the Board of Public School Education, which plays a crucial oversight role in the North Dakota’s education system.

The seven-member board oversees the development of a state learning continuum, which identifies essential skills that students should learn at specific points during their K-12 education. It has charge of the North Dakota K-12 Education Coordination Council, which reviews the effectiveness of state education programs and encourages collaboration among agencies and interest groups.

Board of Public School Education members also are part of the state Board of Career and Technical Education, which oversees North Dakota’s state CTE department and its programs. Last year, the Legislature endorsed a large expansion of the state’s career and technical education system, approving $88.3 million in grants to develop, equip and maintain area career training centers.

Six members of the Board of Public School Education each represent groups of counties that are specified in state law. The governor appoints them to six-year terms. The state school superintendent is the board’s seventh member and its executive secretary.

The members whose terms are ending represent:

• Burke, Divide, McKenzie, Mountrail, Ward, and Williams counties; and
• Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sioux, Slope, and Stark counties.

North Dakotans who live in one of the two groups of counties are encouraged to apply through the governor’s website.

Under state law, the governor appoints new board members from a list of names submitted by a committee of three people: the presidents of North Dakota United, the state Council of Educational Leaders, and the North Dakota School Boards Association. The application deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, April 29.

In addition to its other duties, the Board of Public School Education decides school district requests to dissolve, reorganize, or transfer property. Recently, the board reviewed and approved a plan to combine the Williston city school district and a neighboring Williams County district into a single entity, Williston Basin School District No. 7. The union took effect July 1, 2021.