Gov. Kelly Armstrong presents his budget guidelines to state government agencies at the Capitol on April 8, 2026. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO) – Governor Kelly Armstrong supports a bill that would give all licensed North Dakota teachers, private and public, a $3,400 bonus.
Article VIII of the North Dakota Constitution states public schools should be free from sectarian control. That means a specific sect, faction or religious group. It also says no money raised for the support of the public schools shall be appropriated to or used for the support of any sectarian school.
On “News and Views” Joel Heitkamp asked Armstrong if that means the bonus proposal is unconstitutional.
“I disagree with that and I think we’ll win that case if it ever comes up because we’re not supplementing private schools. I’m giving a state bonus to anyone who is a licensed teacher in the state of North Dakota,” Armstrong said. “I don’t care where they teach. If they’re licensed in North Dakota, I want them to know we have their back and we need them here and we need them to educate the next generation.”
The bill is authored by Republican State Rep. Mike Nathe of Bismarck and has support from state Superintendent Levi Bachmeier.
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