State K-12, Career and Tech Ed Board Seeks Candidate

State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler on Monday invited North Dakotans from eight counties to apply for a seat on the Board of Public School Education, which oversees K-12 and career and technical education in the state.

Incumbent board member Burdell Johnson resigned earlier this month. He represented Burleigh, Stutsman, Eddy, Foster, Kidder, McLean, Sheridan, and Wells counties on the board. His successor will serve the time left on Johnson's term, which ends June 30, 2026. Applicants for his position must be eligible to vote in North Dakota and live in one of the eight counties Johnson represented.

The board has seven members who are appointed by the governor for six-year terms. Its members are part of the state Board of Career and Technical Education, which supervises North Dakota's Department of Career and Technical Education and its programs.

The board also oversees North Dakota's seven regional education associations and the North Dakota K-12 Education Coordination Council, which encourages collaboration among education stakeholders, supports education innovation initiatives, and makes policy recommendations to the state Legislature.

The Board of Public School Education's primary work involves deciding school district requests to transfer property, reorganize, or dissolve. It normally meets 10 times a year. Six of the board's members each represent groups of counties that are specified in state law. Baesler is the board's seventh member and its executive secretary.

North Dakotans who live in Burleigh, Stutsman, Eddy, Foster, Kidder, McLean, Sheridan, and Wells counties are encouraged to use the governor's website to apply for a position on the board. The application deadline is at 5 p.m. Central time on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.

State law requires that eligible applications be reviewed by the presidents of North Dakota United, the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders, and the North Dakota School Boards Association. The committee will submit a list of names for the governor to consider for appointment.