Public schools in Bismarck, ND
Bismarck has 28 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 4 high, 3 middle, 20 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 13,587 students. They are run by 4 districts and agencies; Bismarck School District 1 runs 25 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 4 districts and agencies that run Bismarck's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Bismarck | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck School District 1 | 25 | 13,976 | $14,558 |
| Apple Creek 39 | 1 | 68 | $15,382 |
| Naughton 25 | 1 | 32 | $11,531 |
| Manning 45 | 1 | 21 | $14,952 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
4 high schools in Bismarck, 4,289 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | 1,419 | 16.8 | 13.9% | Bismarck |
| Century High School | 1,406 | 16.4 | 11.2% | Bismarck |
| Bismarck High School | 1,367 | 16.1 | 20.3% | Bismarck |
| South Central Alternative High School | 97 | 14.5 | 99.0% | Bismarck |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
3 middle schools in Bismarck, 3,189 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon Middle School | 1,124 | 15.2 | 12.1% | Bismarck |
| Simle Middle School | 1,053 | 14.5 | 17.2% | Bismarck |
| Wachter Middle School | 1,012 | 14.6 | 24.6% | Bismarck |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
20 elementary schools in Bismarck, 5,772 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Solheim Elementary School | 588 | 15.2 | 15.5% | Bismarck |
| Elk Ridge Elementary School | 510 | 17.5 | 2.0% | Bismarck |
| Robert Place Miller Elementary School | 485 | 14.4 | 30.5% | Bismarck |
| Liberty Elementary School | 470 | 15.7 | 4.5% | Bismarck |
| Sunrise Elementary School | 445 | 14.2 | 13.9% | Bismarck |
| Northridge Elementary School | 410 | 11.2 | 26.8% | Bismarck |
| Dorothy Moses Elementary School | 390 | 12.8 | 61.0% | Bismarck |
| Centennial Elementary School | 390 | 13.3 | 22.1% | Bismarck |
| Silver Ranch Elementary School | 386 | 16.5 | 3.1% | Bismarck |
| Rita Murphy Elementary School | 367 | 14.6 | 26.2% | Bismarck |
The other 10 elementary schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeannette Myhre Elementary School | 258 | 11.5 | 65.9% | Bismarck |
| Will-Moore Elementary School | 232 | 9.7 | 41.8% | Bismarck |
| Pioneer Elementary School | 203 | 10.6 | 42.9% | Bismarck |
| Grimsrud Elementary School | 180 | 10.2 | 43.9% | Bismarck |
| Prairie Rose Elementary School | 136 | 14.3 | 15.4% | Bismarck |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | 113 | 13.7 | 23.0% | Bismarck |
| Highland Acres Elementary School | 103 | 14.7 | 9.7% | Bismarck |
| Apple Creek Elementary School | 78 | 7.9 | not reported | Apple Creek 39 |
| Naughton Elementary School | 16 | 5.3 | not reported | Naughton 25 |
| Manning Elementary School | 12 | 5.3 | not reported | Manning 45 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One other school in Bismarck, 337 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Becep Center | 337 | 14.1 | not reported | Bismarck |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Bismarck's public schools compare with North Dakota's
The median Bismarck school has 14.4 students per full-time teacher, more than the North Dakota median of 10.5. 31% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 39% across the state. Its median school enrolls 388 students (state 150).
| Bismarck | North Dakota | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 14.4 | 10.5 |
| Median school size (students) | 388 | 150 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 31% | 39% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 21% | 8.2% |
| Charter schools | 0% | 0% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 28 Bismarck schools and the 486 North Dakota schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Bismarck
- Bismarck School District 1Runs 25 of Bismarck's 28 public schools and spent $14,558 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,558
- Legacy High School, the largest high school in Bismarck1,419 students in 2024-25, 16.8 per teacher.1,419
- Compare Bismarck School District 1 with Apple Creek 39Bismarck's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in North DakotaNorth Dakota's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Bismarck addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in North Dakota
- Fargo29 schools
- Minot19 schools
- West Fargo17 schools
- Grand Forks16 schools
- Mandan13 schools
- Dickinson12 schools
- Williston9 schools
- Jamestown7 schools
Questions about schools in Bismarck
How many public schools are in Bismarck, ND?
28 public schools with an address in Bismarck were open in 2024-25: 4 high, 3 middle, 20 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 13,587 students.What is the largest high school in Bismarck?
Legacy High School, with 1,419 students in 2024-25 (Bismarck School District 1).Which districts run Bismarck's schools?
Bismarck School District 1 (25 schools), Apple Creek 39 (1 school), Naughton 25 (1 school), Manning 45 (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25