Kirsten Baesler Superintendent | North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler has announced a vacancy on the Board of Public School Education, which is responsible for overseeing K-12 and career and technical education in North Dakota. The position is open to residents of Barnes, Cass, Grand Forks, Griggs, Nelson, Steele, or Traill counties who are eligible voters.
The opening follows the recent appointment of Levi Bachmeier as Baesler’s successor as superintendent of public instruction. Bachmeier currently serves as the business manager for West Fargo’s school district. Baesler is stepping down from her role to become assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington.
The new board member will complete the remainder of Bachmeier’s six-year term, ending June 30, 2030. Bachmeier will continue to serve on the board in his capacity as superintendent. According to state law, "the superintendent is a member by law."
Those interested in applying can do so through the governor’s website. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
The Board of Public School Education consists of seven members: the superintendent of public instruction and six others appointed by the governor for six-year terms. Each appointee represents specific groups of counties defined by state statute (NDCC 15.1-01-01).
Board members also serve on the state Board of Career and Technical Education, which oversees North Dakota’s Department of Career and Technical Education and its related programs. In addition to these duties, the board supervises six regional education associations across North Dakota and works with the K-12 Education Coordination Council to promote collaboration among educational stakeholders and recommend policies to lawmakers.
One primary responsibility involves decisions about school district property transfers, reorganizations or dissolutions; meetings typically occur ten times annually.
The process for selecting Bachmeier’s replacement requires that a committee—composed of leaders from North Dakota United, the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders, and the North Dakota School Boards Association—submit names to the governor for consideration.
Baesler stated she would transition to her federal position once an ongoing government shutdown concludes: "She does not plan to resign her state position until she is able to take the job of assistant secretary."
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