GRAND FORKS – As Grand Forks School Board members work to prioritize needs in the 2026 budget, they also believe an emphasis on socioeconomic balance has caused public hesitancy regarding proposed school boundaries.

Those were among the issues discussed during a School Board retreat on Thursday, Aug. 14.

The current budget for the 2025-26 school year is expected to be $2.9 million over initial projections . Hoping to reduce the overage, board members on Thursday ranked budgetary priorities. District Business Manager Brandon Baumbach gave board members a template to rank what they think the district should prioritize this coming year.

“We have got to make sure we're prioritizing things in our strategic plan and that our budget matches and supports that,” Baumbach said.

As reported e

See Full Page