Amy Neal, Sara Medalen, Kristi Reinke, all Minot; Mary Eldredge Sandbo, Des Lacs; Andee Mattson, Rugby; Bret Dockter, Harvey; Kendall Bergrud, Lincoln; Sheila Peterson, Mandan; Karyn Chiapella, Hettinger; David Volk, Moorhead, Minn.

As public teachers and North Dakota State Teachers of the Year and Finalists, we closely follow legislative decisions that impact our students. At this session’s halfway point, we urge lawmakers to prioritize public education and oppose efforts to use public dollars to fund private institutions.

North Dakota has never been a state to go along with the crowd. While vouchers and education savings accounts are gaining popularity in many states, North Dakota has stood firm against them. Whether in remote communities, small towns, or cities across North Dakota, our public school students represent the best in our state. Public schools serve every child, regardless of income, ability, or background. In towns big and small, our students excel in academics, arts, athletics, and service. As teachers with decades of experience, we see firsthand how public schools foster innovation and prepare students for success. State funding ensures this work continues.

One reason we feel strongly about keeping public money with public schools is to ensure that resources are available for our most vulnerable students. Private schools are not required, and might not be equipped, to accept students with exceptional needs who require additional staff, resources, and space. These crucial and beneficial student supports, provided by public schools, are expensive and go well beyond the per-pupil funding. There is no getting around the fact that using public money to support private schools will diminish the funds available to public schools, especially for students who rely on the additional programs that are often only available in public schools.

Instead of diverting public money to private schools, we encourage legislators and community members to invest in every child in North Dakota. Expanding universal school meals, strengthening career and technical education, supporting mental health resources, and keeping class sizes manageable are just a few ways to ensure all students have the opportunities they deserve.

These bills and their implications are complicated. Combined with the uncertain funding at the federal level, our state’s most vulnerable students risk losing the most. As we continue to follow the progress of these bills, we wonder if legislators are genuinely representing the majority of their constituents. We urge community members to contact their representatives and speak to administrators and teachers in their local public schools to learn how bills currently in the legislative sessions will impact students and classrooms around our state.

We appreciate the dedication of our legislators and urge them to invest in our thriving public schools — the backbone of our communities — rather than funding systems that do not serve all children.