ND4PS joins hundreds of other organizations and coalitions in ND and across the country in expressing serious concerns about the recent firings at the U.S. Department of Education, specifically in offices of significance in serving and protecting the rights of and responsibilities to students with disabilities and their families.

North Dakota United is a proud coalition member of North Dakotans for Public Schools (ND4PS), a new organization whose mission is to strengthen, protect and celebrate public education in North Dakota. United Voices sat down to talk with Erin Oban from ND4PS recently.

9/5/25: The school year is here and well underway in North Dakota, and with 168 public school districts in the state, it’s essential to recognize the importance of our public schools. North Dakotans for Public Schools, also known as ND4PS, is a grassroots coalition doing just that.

08/27/2025: Erin Oban is guest on the “Plain Talk” podcast with hosts Rob Port and Chad Oban to talk about the ND4PS coalition, mission, and hopes for its work.

9/2/2025 - In keeping with our mission to strengthen, protect, and CELEBRATE public education, and with the help of families and friends from across North Dakota, ND4PS created and just releasedthis heartfelt video to express our sincere appreciation for those who labor - in this case, all of our public school educators - and to cheer on our kids for a great school year!

08/06/25: The President of ND United, Nick Archuleta, is filling in for Joel Heitkamp and is joined by Erin Oban to talk about the importance and necessity of public schools. Erin Oban is a former State Senator from Bismarck and served as the state director of USDA Rural Development. She's now working with North Dakotans for Public Schools, which advocates for the policies, personnel, and resources needed to strengthen and improve our public schools

From the coalition —

Our goal is to organize and launch a "WE LOVE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS" movement across the state with positive ads, messages, and yard signs (yours to keep and use again and again!) to show our commitment to and appreciation for public education!

And so, I ask, will North Dakota recognize the dilemma that small, rural schools face? Once recognized, will North Dakota do something about it?

The recent reinstatement of nearly $7 billion in federal education funds just weeks before school  starts has left rural educators and administrators frustrated and exhausted.

The Trump administration said Friday it’ll soon release billions in Education Department funding that has been frozen for weeks, delaying disbursements to K-12 schools throughout the country.