Bismarck Public School District serves 16,037 students across North Dakota's Burleigh County, making it the state's largest school system. The district maintains a student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 17:1 with 943 educators.
Academically, Bismarck demonstrates above-state performance in mathematics proficiency at 38.6% compared to North Dakota's 35.1% average. However, the graduation rate of 86.7% falls below the state average of 90.2%, while the dropout rate of 3.0% indicates moderate attrition. Chronic absenteeism affects 16.0% of the student population, a metric warranting attention for potential academic impacts.
The district's student composition reflects moderate diversity within a predominantly white state context: 75.0% White, 5.0% Black, 5.0% Hispanic, and 2.0% Asian students. Approximately 22.0% of students qualify as economically disadvantaged, 15.0% receive special education services, and 4.0% are English learners, representing relatively modest proportions of students requiring specialized support services.
Per-pupil spending of $13,982 significantly lags the state average of $18,397, representing a difference of $4,415 annually. This funding differential may influence resource availability for instructional programs and support services. Despite fiscal constraints relative to state averages, the district's mathematics performance suggests operational efficiency, though graduation rate gaps and absenteeism rates suggest areas requiring strategic focus.
This summary was generated by AI from public data sources. Last updated May 4, 2026.
This data is aggregated from state and federal public datasets. While we believe it is accurate, we always recommend confirming it on the corresponding state or federal site. See Data Notes for more.
Total Students
16,037
Schools
N/AThis data is either not available at a state or per-district level, or will be added in the future.
Per-Pupil Spending
$13,982
Data Sources: NCES Common Core of Data, NCES F-33 Finance Survey, EDFacts
State Data Year: 2024-25
Note: Some data may be unavailable for certain districts or years. Proficiency rates reflect state-specific assessment standards.
Math Proficiency
38.6%
Accountability Score
83.0%
25585.4 / 30750.0 points
North Dakota uses the Accountability Pie framework under ESSA to evaluate schools across multiple indicators. Schools earn points in each category, and the total percentage represents overall accountability performance.
Percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards on North Dakota State Assessments (NDSA)
Median Student Growth Percentile (SGP) - measures academic progress compared to similar students statewide
ELA Growth Percentile
51
50 = typical growth
Math Growth Percentile
54
50 = typical growth
Math Proficiency
38.6%
3.5% above state avg
Graduation Rate
86.7%
3.5% below state avg
Chronic Absenteeism
16.0%
4.0% above state avg
Choice Ready
66.0%
Near state average
Composite
19.7
Reading
20.0
Science
20.3
Average Daily Attendance
94.1%
Full Academic Year students
Dropout Rate
3.0%
Grades 7-12
North Dakota evaluates schools using the Accountability Pie framework under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Schools earn points across multiple indicators including academic achievement, student growth, graduation rates, attendance, English learner progress, and Choice Ready graduate outcomes. The Choice Ready metric measures whether graduates are prepared for college, career, or military service.