Area Schools
Bismarck/Mandan is home to many great schools. Use the links on this page to find out more.
Bismarck Public Schools
Welcome to Bismarck and the Bismarck Public School District
Bismarck is the capital city of North Dakota. It's centrally located in the state and in North America and is bordered on the west by the scenic Missouri River. Bismarck is an economically diverse, fast growing and dynamic community. The Bismarck-Mandan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) for 2016 shows a population of about 100,000.
The Bismarck Public School District has been in the education business for 143 years (since 1873). The first graduating class was in 1887, when two people graduated. In 2016, 822 students graduated. The oldest building is part of BHS, built in 1934, and the newest buildings are Lincoln Elementary School and Liberty Elementary School, which opened in 2014. Legacy High School opened in the fall of 2015.
We are the largest school districts in the state, with 12,750 students in 2016-17 and 2,187 staff members. We have over 500 classrooms in 16 grade schools, 3 middle schools, 3 senior high schools, an alternative high school, a Career Academy and Technical Center, and an early childhood program.
BPS has a strong graduation rate. The average daily attendance was 96.6%. All of our schools are "accredited with commendation" by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Some schools have received "Blue Ribbon" awards, a high national honor.
Bismarck Public Schools requires 24 credits to graduate from high school. About 15% of students in grades 10-12 are members of the National Honor Society, and 24% of the seniors are Presidential Academic Fitness Award winners, maintaining an A- or higher GPA and score at the 85th percentile or above on a national achievement test.
Mandan Public Schools
Our Mission:
To provide foundations in learning, citizenship, and work ethic that will help students reach their potential.
Our Vision:
Empowered students who will lead a productive life and contribute to society.
Why Mandan Public Schools?
The Mandan School District is the 7th largest employer in the Bismarck-Mandan metro area; with nearly 600 staff members providing services to over 3,500 students. Our District consists of six elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. Mandan is proud of its hometown atmosphere and rich history. The City of Mandan has approximately 20,000 residents and it is part of the Bismarck-Mandan metro area which has approximately 115,000 residents.
Shiloh Christian
Welcome to Shiloh Christian School!
We are celebrating over 35 years of developing outstanding student-leaders through strong academic programs grounded in Christian principles. Our dedicated faculty and staff are committed to nurturing and challenging students, in Preschool through 12th grade, to achieve their personal best in school and in life.
Our small campus community allows each child to be known and valued as an individual. Small class sizes allow instructors to really get to know their students. By drawing on the students’ individual learning strengths, our highly qualified teachers can appropriately guide and challenge the students to reach their potential. Co-curricular opportunities help students become well rounded and gain confidence as they find their niche.
At the core of Shiloh’s mission is the integration of Christian faith and values into the learning experience. Students receive a well-rounded education that not only prepares them academically, but encourages their spiritual growth.
Please explore our website to find out more about our excellent Christian learning environment. Then we hope you’ll make plans to visit our campus and see first hand what we have to offer.
St. Mary's
History of Light of Christ Catholic Schools
Bismarck was the first western pioneer city created due to the railroad connecting Fargo to Bismarck. Two years later, in 1875, St. Mary’s Church was created.
In 1878, Fr. Chrysostom Foffa, OSB, built a school at Bismarck, Dakota Territory, and staffed it with Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph, Minnesota. The school was named the St. Mary’s Academy and Boarding School. The Sisters’ reputation for discipline and educational thoroughness tempered with religion was a welcome contrast to the rawness of frontier life on the Dakota prairie, and so pupils, many non-Catholic, flocked to the “Sister School,” the first Catholic school in Bismarck.
From this Benedictine foundation, out of which St. Alexius Medical Center and the University of Mary have also been realized, Catholic education in the Bismarck Community has continuously provided families with quality educational options since 1878. The parishes of Bismarck have sought to provide schools that meet the needs of their students and families and have educated generations of community, state, and national leaders.
Beginning in 2012, the five Catholic parishes of Bismarck came together to form The Light of Christ Catholic Schools, an unprecedented venture reaffirming the strengths and successes of Catholic education in Bismarck. Today, Light of Christ Catholic Schools offers a modern educational program in which students learn language arts, mathematics, science, morality, fine arts, faith, and languages in small classes taught by caring teachers. The children at Light of Christ Catholic Schools have opportunities to discover themselves as scholars, leaders, stewards, thinkers, athletes, and artists.
Our mission statement makes it clear: we have a single focus – the young people in our care. We strive to challenge them in every aspect of the human person (intellectual, emotional, physical, social and spiritual) to reach their true potential.