Bismarck Public Schools’ Indigenous Parent Advisory Committee holds final meeting of school year

The members discussed a new rendition of the BPS Strategic Plan and updates to the Title IV and Johnson-O’Malley (JOM) funding.

BPS Superintendent Jeff Fastnacht shared printed copies of the 2025-2030 plan, which builds upon the previous version. Key goals and objectives remain the same, while the text is easier for the layperson to understand.

“We spent a lot of time taking the education jargon out,” Fastnacht said, “making it so average citizens of our fair city can read it.”

The plan also includes guidelines for improving community engagement, fostering inclusive learning opportunities and addressing behavioral issues in schools.

“We need to continue to work on not overrepresenting our Indigenous kids when it comes to student discipline behavior and altercations of law enforcement,” Fastnacht said.

Discussions over the appropriate use of school resource officers and the Police Youth Bureau pointed to a need for clear protocols across the district. Without a stable process, each case is treated differently, leading to grievances from family members.

IPAC Chairwoman Billi Jo Beheler said that the conflicts could affect funding and student outcomes. “Our JOM grant and our Title IV grant is to remove barriers for our students,” Beheler said. “If our students are struggling within the schools and they don’t have any support, it goes straight to a phone call or citation.”

As a result, students may not receive the help they need to succeed academically — which is the intent of federal funding for Indigenous students.

IPAC received $12,000 from the Title IV grant to provide presenters and culture bearers to the district; $8,000 in JOM funds will be reallocated for future school events.

In the upcoming year, the committee will focus on advocacy work, devising methods to prevent Indigenous students from facing underserved behavioral consequences and representing them with greater positivity. IPAC’s next meeting is scheduled for June 17 at 2 p.m., during which members will plan for a back-to-school event and the fall election of IPAC’s next president.