NDDPI releases charter school application process, launches ND ANCHOR

The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) on Monday released the application materials and timeline for the state's first round of public charter schools under ND ANCHOR, the state's new framework for approving and overseeing charter schools. The application window opens Dec. 2 and closes March 2, 2027.

ND ANCHOR stands for Authorizing North Dakota Charters for High-Quality Outcomes and Results. In April 2025, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 2241, which allowed public charter schools in North Dakota for the first time. The law is now outlined in North Dakota Century Code Chapter 15.1-40.

The North Dakota Public Charter School Application is intentionally structured around student outcomes, governance capacity and financial sustainability. Consistent with North Dakota Century Code Chapter 15.1-40 and North Dakota Administrative Code Chapter 67-36, the application focuses first on whether a proposed school is likely to produce strong, measurable academic and developmental results for students and second on whether the governing board and leadership team have the capacity to deliver and sustain those results.

The law makes the state superintendent responsible for:

Creating the application and review process
Holding public interviews with applicants
Creating and monitoring performance agreements
Giving guidance on school formation and enrollment
Ensuring compliance and reporting student outcomes

"Opening a public school is a serious responsibility, and North Dakota families deserve confidence that any new school has a clear plan to help students succeed," State Superintendent Levi Bachmeier said. "This process puts student outcomes first. We're looking for ambitious goals, strong leadership and a sustainable plan. Applicants who meet that standard will find a fair, transparent path forward allowing them to operate under the high expectations of our public schools."

Reviewers will look first at whether a proposed school is likely to produce strong, measurable results for the students it plans to serve. They will then look at whether the founding board and leadership team can deliver those results and sustain them.

Approval decisions will be based on:

How clear, rigorous and ambitious the proposed student outcomes are
How well the educational model is designed to deliver those outcomes
Evidence that the founding team can carry out, monitor and improve results
A realistic plan for accountability and continuous improvement
A credible financial plan that matches the resources needed

Applicants must show they are ready and able to deliver results. Schools that are approved will then go through a separate Ready-to-Open process to show they are prepared to operate before they welcome students.

Key dates

Dec. 2, 2026: Application window opens
March 2, 2027: Application deadline, 5 p.m. CST
Mid-May 2027: Superintendent decisions
Fall 2027: First day of operations for approved schools

NDDPI plans to open another application round in early fall 2027.

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