Education

The Minot AFB School Liaison Officer and Family Readiness staff can assist with issues related to the educational needs of those relocating to or from this area. The SLO improves transitional support for school children of Minot AFB personnel by advocating for military children, increasing awareness of the unique needs of military children, establishing partnerships between the base and local schools, and providing a process to address and resolve military-specific education issues (i.e. registration, graduation, and immunization requirements, etc.). Education in our community is a top priority.

There are no DOD schools at Minot AFB. The Minot Public School system operates the public schools that the base children will be attending. The Minot Public School District has 11 elementary schools located in Minot and two on base. There are two middle schools in Minot and one on base. There is one high school on two campuses: Central Campus (for grades 9 and 10) and Minot High School (for grades 11 and 12). Minot Public Schools also offers an Adult Learning Center, Head Start program and an alternative school. To access information on any of the schools go to the Minot Public Schools website and select the Our Schools tab. Other school districts within a short 10-30 mile commute from Minot AFB are Glenburn, Sawyer, Des Lacs/Burlington, and Surrey.

Busing

Base children are bused 13 miles to Minot to attend Central campus, Magic City campus, and the two altenative schools Central Plus and Souris River throughout the academic year. Base children are bused to Dakota, North Plains, and Memorial during the winter months. The buses run from November through March. Exact dates are always posted ahead of time.

Busing is provided for Preschool, Head Start, and special needs.

For families living in Minot the only bus service is for Preschool, special needs, and shuttles between Central and Magic City campuses. The city bus provides transportation at designated stops throughout the city. Route maps, rates and other general information can be found online. Monthly passes can be purchased for a student rate. 

Private Schools

Bishop Ryan Catholic school is a K-12 and Our Redeemer's is a K-12 Christian school.

Homeschooling

Parents may also select to participate in Home Schooling. The following question and answer web site will help with the North Dakota requirements.

School Year

All Public Schools have a 9 month school year. The school year begins before Labor Day and ends around Memorial Day.

Age Requirements

Age requirements for North Dakota Public Schools by State Law. If a child has not attended school before, parents must bring a birth certificate, or other proof of age, and shot records to the school at registration time.

• Kindergarten: Child must be 5 years old by 1 August of the school year.
• First Grade: Child must be 6 years old by 1 August of the school year.

There are no DoD schools located on the installation. Minot Public Schools is the largest district in the area and supports the majority of public education for Minot’s K-12 military-connected students. There are three schools on base: North Plains Elementary has K-5 and houses our STARBASE program. Dakota Elementary has K-5 and houses Head Start and the special services preschool. Memorial Middle School has 6^th – 8^th grade and was presented the U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School award in 2020. Minot Public has one high school on two campuses in the city of Minot: Minot High School - Central Campus (for grades 9 and 10) and Minot High School - Magic City Campus (for grades 11 and 12). Bus service is available to take the on-base high school students to and from school (approximately 13 miles). To access information on any of the schools go to the Minot Public Schools website and select the Our Schools tab. There are eight other public school districts in proximity to Minot AFB: Glenburn, South Prairie, United, Surrey, Kenmare, Lewis & Clark, Nedrose, and Mohall. There are two private schools in the city of Minot: Bishop Ryan and Our Redeemers. The state of North Dakota also has one accredited online school, North Dakota Center for Distance Education, with classes available for K-12. For home school families there is state requirement for families to file a letter of intent with their local district prior to the start of each schooling year for students  beginning at 7 years old. Contact the Minot AFB Child & Youth Education Services, School Liaison for further information on K-12 education.

The focal point for all education programs at Minot Air Force Base is the Education and Training section.

The Education Center is located at 156 Missile Ave. Call 701-723-2772. Counseling is available on a walk-in basis for Education Services specialists Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and Community College of the Air Force advisers Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.  Minot.Edcenter@us.af.mil

Testing services include Weighted Airman Promotion System, Professional Military Education, Defense Language Proficiency Test/Defense Language Aptitude Battery, Air Force Classification Test, Air Force Officer Qualifying Test, College Level Examination Program/Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, and some specialized tests.

Tuition assistance is authorized for active-duty personnel. Financial aid information is available to the military community. The out-of-state tuition exemption applies to all military personnel and their families.