Rules are put into place for good reason. Although with every rule, there are bound to be exceptions. This is true when it comes to the Bismarck Public Schools’ (BPS) transfer policy.
BPS does not have open enrollment, meaning students must live in Bismarck in order to attend a Bismarck school. All students are also expected to attend the school that is designated toto their boundary. If a student wants to attend a school that is outside of their boundary, they must make that transfer request and get it approved in the BPS system.
“It’s hard to allow for open enrollment when there’s not enough space for your current students,” secondary assistant superintendent Dr. Ben Johnson said.
Before 2008, BPS allowed open enrollment and transfers were more common.
“It’s really due to capacity,” Johnson said. “As we continue to grow pretty rapidly, we have to have space for our own resident students.”
Programs at all schools have been affected for the past 15 years. For example, BHS is known for its championship wrestling program. In the past, the program attracted multiple transfer students. Many wrestlers who were not originally in BHS feeders transferred and brought home state titles as Demons.
“We want our teams to be successful,” assistant principal and boys wrestling co-head coach Mark Lardy said. “I think we’re getting better at being more consistent on the transfers that are coming through.”
Wrestling at Bismarck High has always had a tradition of excellence. More than 40 state titles have been brought back to BHS’s trophy hall.
“If you’re running a program that is successful, kids want to be part of that success,” Lardy said.
While most people think when it comes to wrestling kids only want to transfer into BHS, occasionally requests are made to transfer out of BHS to a different school.
“I’ve always said if they feel like they can be better served at a different program, then I guess that’s where they need to be,” Lardy said. “It does cause you to reflect and say ‘Is there something that I’m doing that would make someone not want to be part of the program?’ We try to be as inclusive as possible where we’re making people feel part of the program.”
While BPS has a general no-transfer policy, each request is examined closely and sometimes, transfers are allowed.
“A junior whose family moved boundaries but has gone to BHS and its feeders in past years is treated differently,” Johnson said. “We generally allow them to remain in the feeder they were a part of.”
However, not all transfer requests are accepted. According to Johnson, only around 50 percent are approved. This can tcause a lot of confusion, stress and upset feelings among students making the attempt to transfer. BHS teachers and students recognize how difficult it probably is to make the decision on who is allowed to transfer schools and whose request is denied, but keeping it consistent is extremely important. Even though Lardy has no control over who comes and goes on his team, he continuously creates a positive atmosphere where athletes feel welcome.
“I welcome anybody that comes to our program and try to make every kid as successful as they possibly can,” Lardy said. “There’s more to being part of a sports program than just winning.”