Bismarck School District 1

Listed by NCES as Bismarck 1 (district ID 3800014)

Public school district · Burleigh County · North Dakota · NCES district ID 3800014

Bismarck School District 1 spent $14,558 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 64% of the other North Dakota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $14,196). Its 26 schools enrolled 14,086 students in 2024-25; 55.1% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,100 per student, up 3.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 88% (North Dakota: 83.2%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among North Dakota's largest districts

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Bismarck School District 1 ranks 5.

Current spending per student, largest North Dakota districts, FY23Fargo Public Schools $17,740; Grand Forks Public Schools $15,253; Minot $15,223; Mckenzie Co 1 $15,006; Bismarck School District 1 $14,558; Dickinson 1 $14,504; Mandan Public Schools $14,124; Jamestown Public Schools $13,986; West Fargo 6 $13,666; Williston Basin 7 $13,026; State median, 1,000+ students $14,196.10k12k14k16k18k20kFargo Public Schools$17,740Grand Forks Public Schools$15,253Minot$15,223Mckenzie Co 1$15,006Bismarck School District 1$14,558Dickinson 1$14,504Mandan Public Schools$14,124Jamestown Public Schools$13,986West Fargo 6$13,666Williston Basin 7$13,026State median, 1,000+ students $14,196
Current spending per student, largest North Dakota districts, FY23Fargo Public Schools $17,740; Grand Forks Public Schools $15,253; Minot $15,223; Mckenzie Co 1 $15,006; Bismarck School District 1 $14,558; Dickinson 1 $14,504; Mandan Public Schools $14,124; Jamestown Public Schools $13,986; West Fargo 6 $13,666; Williston Basin 7 $13,026; State median, 1,000+ students $14,196.10k12k14k16k18k20kFargo Public Schools$17,740Grand Forks Public Schools$15,253Minot$15,223Mckenzie Co 1$15,006Bismarck School District 1$14,558Dickinson 1$14,504Mandan Public Schools$14,124Jamestown Public Schools$13,986West Fargo 6$13,666Williston Basin 7$13,026State median, 1,000+ students $14,196
Current spending per student, largest North Dakota districts, FY23Fargo Public Schools $17,740; Grand Forks Public Schools $15,253; Minot $15,223; Mckenzie Co 1 $15,006; Bismarck School District 1 $14,558; Dickinson 1 $14,504; Mandan Public Schools $14,124; Jamestown Public Schools $13,986; West Fargo 6 $13,666; Williston Basin 7 $13,026; State median, 1,000+ students $14,196.10k14k18k20kFargo Public Schools$17,740Grand Forks Public Schools$15,253Minot$15,223Mckenzie Co 1$15,006Bismarck School District 1$14,558Dickinson 1$14,504Mandan Public Schools$14,124Jamestown Public Schools$13,986West Fargo 6$13,666Williston Basin 7$13,026State median, 1,000+ students $14,196
Current spending per student, largest North Dakota districts, FY23Fargo Public Schools $17,740; Grand Forks Public Schools $15,253; Minot $15,223; Mckenzie Co 1 $15,006; Bismarck School District 1 $14,558; Dickinson 1 $14,504; Mandan Public Schools $14,124; Jamestown Public Schools $13,986; West Fargo 6 $13,666; Williston Basin 7 $13,026; State median, 1,000+ students $14,196.10k14k18k20kFargo Public Schools$17,740Grand Forks Public Schools$15,253Minot$15,223Mckenzie Co 1$15,006Bismarck School District 1$14,558Dickinson 1$14,504Mandan Public Schools$14,124Jamestown Public Schools$13,986West Fargo 6$13,666Williston Basin 7$13,026State median, 1,000+ students $14,196

Where the money came from

$235,987,000 in revenue: 55.1% state, 31.9% local and 13.0% federal. Total spending including $35,748,000 of capital outlay was $248,450,000, or $17,777 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Bismarck School District 1 revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $129,926,000; Local $75,365,000; Federal $30,696,000; total $235,987,000.
  • State$129,926,000 55%
  • Local$75,365,000 32%
  • Federal$30,696,000 13%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 15 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25

13,964 students in 2022-23, 14,106 students in 2023-24, 14,086 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Bismarck School District 1 enrollment by school year2022-23: 13,964, 2023-24: 14,106, 2024-25: 14,08605k10k15k2022-2313,9642023-2414,1062024-2514,086
Bismarck School District 1 enrollment by school year2022-23: 13,964, 2023-24: 14,106, 2024-25: 14,08605k10k15k2022-2313,9642023-2414,1062024-2514,086
Bismarck School District 1 enrollment by school year2022-23: 13,964, 2023-24: 14,106, 2024-25: 14,08605k10k15k2022-2313,9642023-2414,1062024-2514,086
Bismarck School District 1 enrollment by school year2022-23: 13,964, 2023-24: 14,106, 2024-25: 14,08605k10k15k2022-2313,9642023-2414,1062024-2514,086

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2313,964935.614.9
2023-2414,106931.815.1
2024-2514,086969.014.5

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$86,505,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,190 per student

Bismarck School District 1 booked $86,505,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 936 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $92,454 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 90 in 100 North Dakota districts with a figure (state median $65,626, 125 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average North Dakota teacher salary at $55,769 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$50,040,00057.8%
Special education$19,131,00022.1%
Vocational$3,857,0004.5%
Other programs$13,477,00015.6%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $5,469 in 2018-19, $5,476 in 2019-20, $5,949 in 2020-21, $6,082 in 2021-22, $6,190 in 2022-23.

Bismarck School District 1 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,469, 2019-20: $5,476, 2020-21: $5,949, 2021-22: $6,082, 2022-23: $6,19002k4k6k8k2018-19$5,4692019-20$5,4762020-21$5,9492021-22$6,0822022-23$6,190
Bismarck School District 1 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,469, 2019-20: $5,476, 2020-21: $5,949, 2021-22: $6,082, 2022-23: $6,19002k4k6k8k2018-19$5,4692019-20$5,4762020-21$5,9492021-22$6,0822022-23$6,190
Bismarck School District 1 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,469, 2019-20: $5,476, 2020-21: $5,949, 2021-22: $6,082, 2022-23: $6,19002k4k6k8k2018-19$5,4692019-20$5,4762020-21$5,9492021-22$6,0822022-23$6,190
Bismarck School District 1 teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,469, 2019-20: $5,476, 2020-21: $5,949, 2021-22: $6,082, 2022-23: $6,19002k4k6k8k2018-19$5,4692019-20$5,4762020-21$5,9492021-22$6,0822022-23$6,190

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Bismarck School District 1 scored proficient or above: 45% in reading and 43% in math, against 43.8% in reading and 38.6% in math across North Dakota. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within North Dakota, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtNorth DakotaStudents tested
Reading and language arts45%43.8%6,976
Math43%38.6%7,013

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

88% of the 997 students in Bismarck School District 1's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.2% across North Dakota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtNorth Dakota
Four-year graduation rate88%83.2%
Students in the class9978,249

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

18 elementary schools, 6,271 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Lincoln Elementary School60511.715.0%Not Title I
Victor Solheim Elementary School58815.215.5%Not Title I
Elk Ridge Elementary School51017.52.0%Not reported
Robert Place Miller Elementary School48514.430.5%Schoolwide program
Liberty Elementary School47015.74.5%Not Title I
Sunrise Elementary School44514.213.9%Not Title I
Northridge Elementary School41011.226.8%Schoolwide program
Dorothy Moses Elementary School39012.861.0%Schoolwide program
Centennial Elementary School39013.322.1%Not Title I
Silver Ranch Elementary School38616.53.1%Not reported
Rita Murphy Elementary School36714.626.2%Not Title I
Jeannette Myhre Elementary School25811.565.9%Schoolwide program
The other 6 elementary schools
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Will-Moore Elementary School2329.741.8%Schoolwide program
Pioneer Elementary School20310.642.9%Schoolwide program
Grimsrud Elementary School18010.243.9%Schoolwide program
Prairie Rose Elementary School13614.315.4%Not Title I
Roosevelt Elementary School11313.723.0%Schoolwide program
Highland Acres Elementary School10314.79.7%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

3 middle schools, 3,189 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Horizon Middle School1,12415.212.1%Not Title I
Simle Middle School1,05314.517.2%Not Title I
Wachter Middle School1,01214.624.6%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

4 high schools, 4,289 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Legacy High School1,41916.813.9%Not Title I
Century High School1,40616.411.2%Not Title I
Bismarck High School1,36716.120.3%Not Title I
South Central Alternative High School9714.599.0%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 other school, 337 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Becep Center33714.1not reportedNot Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Bismarck School District 1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Bismarck School District 1

  1. North Dakota districts by spending per studentBismarck School District 1 ranks 6 of 15 North Dakota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,558).#6 of 15
  2. Every school district in North DakotaBismarck School District 1 is the largest of 170 North Dakota districts, with 13,976 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#1 of 170
  3. West Fargo 6 School DistrictThe next smaller North Dakota district: 12,680 students in fall 2022, $13,666 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,666
  4. Compare Bismarck School District 1 with West Fargo 6 School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  5. Legacy High School, its largest high school1,419 students in 2024-25, 16.8 per teacher.1,419
  6. Teacher salary spending across North DakotaBismarck School District 1 spent $92,454 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $65,626); spending, not a salary.$92,454
  7. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Bismarck School District 1

  1. How many schools and students are in Bismarck School District 1?
    26 schools were open in 2024-25 (18 elementary, 3 middle, 4 high, 1 other), enrolling 14,086 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Bismarck School District 1 spend per student?
    $14,558 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the North Dakota median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $14,196 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,100 per student, up 3.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Bismarck School District 1's money come from?
    $235,987,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 55.1% state, 31.9% local and 13.0% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Bismarck School District 1 live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 1,145 of the 16,831 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 6.8%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Bismarck School District 1 spend on teacher salaries?
    $86,505,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,190 per student. Divided by the 936 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $92,454 per teacher, more than 90 in 100 North Dakota districts (state median $65,626). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average North Dakota teacher salary at $55,769 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Bismarck School District 1 do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Bismarck School District 1 scored proficient or above: 45% in reading and 43% in math, against 43.8% in reading and 38.6% in math across North Dakota. North Dakota's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Bismarck School District 1?
    88% of the 997 students in Bismarck School District 1's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.2% across North Dakota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Bismarck School District 1's NCES district ID?
    3800014. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .