Charter schools may be coming to North Dakota

North Dakota’s House passed Senate Bill 2241 with a 64-29 vote on Tuesday, allowing establishment of public charter schools that would operate independently from school districts while following public school regulations. The schools would receive state funding of about $8,160 per student but can’t charge tuition, teach religious content, or access the state’s school building fund. Chief sponsor Sen. Michelle Axtman called the bill “exciting” and suggested rural communities could benefit by reorganizing struggling schools as charters. Opponents like Rep. Larry Klemin raised concerns about tax funds supporting multiple school systems, while Rep. Donald Longmuir worried about diverting limited funding from existing public schools. The bill previously passed the Senate 40-7 and now returns there for concurrence with House amendments before heading to the governor’s desk.