New State School Superintendent Levi Bachmeier began his first day in the position Monday by declaring his goal to visit all of North Dakota’s 165 operating school districts, beginning with its smallest, Marmarth, in the southwestern corner of the state.

"Every student, regardless if they attend our largest or smallest district, deserves a quality education,” Bachmeier said. “I'm excited to kick of my tour of North Dakota school districts at the state's smallest school district in western North Dakota."

The visit to Marmarth, a Slope County community of about 100 people, is scheduled for the afternoon of Dec. 8. In its fall state enrollment report, Marmarth listed four students. North Dakota now has 12 school districts with fewer than 50 students.

The goal of his tour, Bachmeier said, is to hear opinions directly from educators about how the state can best lead the nation in providing an effective education for all students.

"The best ideas to improve education come from listening to parents, teachers, and students out where the learning is occurring -- in our classrooms and communities,” Bachmeier said. “I'm excited to see the great things happening in all corners of our state as we work together to lead the nation with the best schools in America.”

Bachmeier took office at 8 a.m. Monday, when the retirement of his predecessor, Kirsten Baesler, took effect. Baesler has been appointed as assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education in the U.S. Department of Education.

Gov. Kelly Armstrong announced Bachmeier’s appointment as state superintendent of public instruction on Oct. 21. Bachmeier plans to run next year to serve out Baesler’s term, which ends in 2028.

Superintendent Bachmeier has held several roles dedicated to supporting the education and development of young people.

He began his career teaching high school social studies and coaching football and track and field at Crazy Horse School in Wanblee, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He later served as a policy advisor to North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, focusing on K–12 education, and rose to become director of the governor’s policy team.

Bachmeier returned to West Fargo in the fall of 2019, where he grew up and graduated from West Fargo High School in 2010, to serve as business manager for the West Fargo Public Schools. He also coached pole vaulting, where he supported several conference and state champions.

As business manager, Bachmeier worked to maximize the district’s return on investment of taxpayer funds; raised its Moody’s credit rating to the highest of any North Dakota school district; restructured the budget to maximize teacher salary increases while staying within property tax limits; and helped engage school district patrons to approve a bond issue of almost $100 million to accommodate the district’s growth and facility needs.

Superintendent Bachmeier is a native of West Fargo, N.D. He graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, in 2014 with a degree in social studies education and a minor in coaching. He holds a certificate in educational finance from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. 

Levi is blessed with four wonderful females in his life: wife Rachel, daughters Linden and Roslin, and rescue pup Sunka. The Bachmeiers can be found hiking the North Dakota Badlands and attending high school activities in their free time.