Per student payment increase

State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said, though K-12 schools in North Dakota didn't receive budget cuts last session, they faced challenges in retaining teachers, funding elective programs, such as art classes in elementary schools, as well as maintaining adequate class sizes.

"I was very pleased to see that (the governor) was proposing a 2 percent increase for each year of the biennium," Baesler said. "I think it's important that we continue to keep K-12 education a priority in our state."

Schaible said the 2 percent increase is "a goal we want to shoot at," but one that lawmakers won't know whether it's feasible until closer to the end of the session.

"I want to do as much as we can, but we also have to be cognizant to see what we can afford and maintain going into the future," he said.

Oban said she supports a 3 percent increase each year of the biennium, an idea North Dakota Democratic-NPL lawmakers proposed earlier this month.

"The fairest way to treat all school districts is to provide that increase to school districts in per pupil payments," Oban said. "The higher the percent increase, the more beneficial it would be to all school districts and ultimately to taxpayers."