A BILL for an Act to amend and reenact subsection 3 of section 15-19-01 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the payment of fees for courses provided by the center for distance education.
HB 1172 would amend North Dakota law governing the Center for Distance Education by changing who is responsible for paying course fees. Under current law, a student’s school district of residence pays fees for courses provided by the center, subject to rules set by the superintendent of public instruction. The bill would instead allow those fees to be paid by the student’s parent or legal guardian, or by the school district of residence in specified circumstances.
The bill also adds a condition under which the school district would pay: if the student’s school does not offer the course during that semester, or if the course is not available when the student has room in their preferred class schedule. In effect, the measure appears aimed at clarifying and narrowing when districts must cover distance education course costs, while preserving district responsibility when the local school cannot reasonably provide the course.
If enacted, HB 1172 would revise subsection 3 of section 15-19-01 of the North Dakota Century Code, shifting the fee-payment framework for Center for Distance Education courses. It would affect students, parents or legal guardians, local school districts, and the superintendent of public instruction’s fee-setting authority. The practical impact would be to make parent/guardian payment an explicit option and to limit district payment obligations to situations where the course is unavailable locally or does not fit the student’s schedule.
No committee transcript or recorded vote details were provided, so the bill’s sentiment can only be inferred from its text and final status. The measure was introduced by a bipartisan group of House members and a senator, suggesting at least some cross-chamber interest in the issue. However, the bill ultimately failed on February 19, 2025, indicating it did not secure enough support to advance.
The main point of contention likely centered on who should bear the cost of distance education courses: families or local school districts. Supporters may have viewed the bill as a way to align payment responsibility with course availability and student scheduling needs, while opponents may have been concerned that shifting costs to parents could create barriers to access or reduce equitable participation in distance learning. Another possible issue is whether the bill would have narrowed district obligations too much by tying payment to course availability and schedule fit.