— Official News Release —
BISMARCK, N.D. – The Board of University and School Lands (Land Board) today awarded about $5 million in energy impact grants to K-12 schools and airports in North Dakota’s oil-production region. During today’s grant round, the Land Board awarded about $2 million to K-12 schools and another $3 million to airports in western North Dakota to help the region address the impacts of rapid growth.
“These grants are an important part of our ongoing commitment to help the oil and gas region meet the challenges the come with strong growth,” said Gov. Jack Dalrymple, chairman of the five-member state Land Board. “By working together, we are making great progress in western North Dakota, but we know that there is much more work ahead. We will continue working with local leaders to meet our challenges and build on our progress.”
Other Land Board members are Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, Secretary of State Al Jaeger, Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler and State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt.
The Land Board approved grants for 13 school districts based on the recommendations of its K-12 school advisory committee, which is made up of school administrators from the state’s oil and gas region. The Land Board followed the committee’s recommendations to give priority to school districts that demonstrated a need for additional assistance since the start of the current school year. The energy impact grants awarded to schools today include:
- McKenzie Co. Public School District 1 – $336,000 for construction of additional classrooms, portable classrooms and other school upgrades.
- Divide Co. Public School District – $274,000 for the development of teacher housing and communications equipment.
- Stanley Public School District – $246,000 for high school renovations and fire alarm upgrades.
- Tioga Public School District – $110,000 for high school and elementary school security upgrades.
- Alexander Public School District 2 – $190,000 for cafeteria renovations.
- Nesson Public School District 2, Ray, N.D. – $245,000 for modular classrooms and security upgrades.
- Powers Lake Public School District 27 – $140,000 for teacher housing.
The Land Board also awarded $3 million in energy impact grants to support a wide range of infrastructure improvement projects and equipment needs at 10 airports serving western North Dakota. The grants include:
- Minot International Airport, $2.06 million towards construction of a new passenger terminal and other improvement projects.
- Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport, $108,000 to expand the aviation apron and for the design of improved runways and taxiways.
- Williston’s Sloulin Field International Airport, $122,144 for emergency equipment and an environmental assessment.
- Bowman Municipal Airport, $207,251 in additional state funding for the construction of a new terminal and fueling station. The state has previously provided $140,000 to support the improvement projects.
- Tioga Municipal Airport, $181,805 for planning and design of hangar construction improvements as well as taxiway and apron improvements.
- Parshall’s Hankins Airport, $141,668 for apron pavement improvements.
For a complete list of grants approved today by the Land Board go to: www.nd.gov/energyimpact.
In addition to providing $240 million in energy impact grants, the state continues to support the oil and gas region in many other ways. In all, the state will invest about $2.7 billion to support the state’s oil and gas region during the current biennium. The state commitment – more than twice the amount of the previous, two-year funding package of about $1.2 billion – includes funding for highway, county and township road improvements; water supply and water treatment projects and the development of affordable housing. Other state commitments include stationing more Highway Patrol troopers in western North Dakota; enhancements to the region’s court system and funding for dust suppression projects.
