Education funding

A motion to close and consolidate the Bemidji school, dispersing students to other area elementaries serving kindergarten through third grade, failed to pass on a 3-3 vote.

The district estimates closing the school, which serves second and third grade, will save it at least $516,000 as it works to address a $2 million budget shortfall.

Bemidji Area Schools is considering consolidating its elementary schools by closing J.W. Smith, and community members are urging the Board to look at other options.

Parents and community members gathered at the J.W. Smith Elementary gymnasium for the Q&A session. The School Board will host a public hearing on March 24, 2026.

PreK-first students will attend Washington Elementary, while Lincoln Elementary will transition to second-fifth grades. Sixth graders will move up to Hibbing High School.

The school district must now advertise the planned closure for two weeks before hosting a public hearing on the decision, which would go into effect this spring.

The Boys and Girls Club of Bemidji Area operates a branch at J.W. Smith. Families and staff are concerned about the future of the grant-funded program if the school closes.

As the district looks to trim $3 million from its budget this spring, community members, teachers and parents rallied against the shuttering of J.W. Smith Elementary.

Aitkin and Staples-Motley school districts are bringing referendums back to the ballots on April 14, 2026, seeking voter approval for construction bonds.

Minnesota now has just 19 electric school buses, but more than 20 districts are waiting on deliveries, some by the 2026-2027 school year.