Dr. Jeff Fastnacht, BPS Superintendent

09/11/2026

Today, we pause to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and to honor the courage of the first responders, service members, and everyday Americans who stepped forward in the moments and days that followed.

Twenty-five years later, the lessons of that day still matter. Service, Sacrifice, Courage.

As a school community, we have a responsibility to help the next generation understand this part of our history and to carry forward those values.

We remember. We honor. And we are grateful for those who continue to serve our communities and our country.

09/09/2026

I use AI. I find it incredibly helpful, and I believe it can make us better and more efficient at what we do.

But I’ve noticed something lately that concerns me.

We are seeing more parent emails that appear to be AI-assisted, sometimes four or five pages long, laying out concerns, arguments, questions, and requests for detailed written responses. In some cases, there is also a reluctance to simply pick up the phone or sit down together and talk.

That worries me, not because AI was used, but because of what we may lose when it replaces conversation.

Schools are human organizations. Parenting is human. Teaching is human. Relationships are built through conversation, where we can ask a question, hear tone, clarify a misunderstanding, listen to another perspective, and sometimes discover that what felt like a major conflict in writing can be worked through in a 15-minute conversation.

Use AI to organize your thoughts. Use it to help you communicate clearly. I certainly do.

But let’s be careful that technology designed to help us communicate doesn’t actually keep us from communicating with one another.

Sometimes the best response to a five-page email is still: “Can we sit down and talk?”

Our kids benefit when the adults in their lives can do exactly that.

09/09/2026

Thank You Marathon.

The Bismarck Public Schools Foundation is pleased to recognize Marathon Petroleum Corporation for its generous $30,000 grant supporting programs that address essential needs for Bismarck Public Schools students and families.

The grant will provide $10,000 each to three BPS Foundation programs: Fill the Bus, Lunch Assistance and the Family Assistance Fund.

These programs provide critical resources that can impact a student’s success in school. Partnerships like this strengthen our ability to remove barriers and help empower every learner to THRIVE!

Read more about Marathon Petroleum’s support and the impact of these programs: https://bpsfoundation.com/2026/09/09/bismarck-public-schools-foundation-receives-30000-grant-from-marathon-petroleum-to-support-student-and-family-needs/

09/09/2026

Twenty-five years ago today, on September 9, 2001, this was the New York City skyline we knew. For many of us, it was the image we pictured when we dreamed of visiting New York.

Two days later, that image, and our world, changed forever.

For our children, 9/11 is history. They have never known a world before September 11, 2001. They don’t remember how we traveled, how we thought about our safety, or the sense of security many Americans simply took for granted.

As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, perhaps one of the most important things we can do is talk with our children not only about what happened that day, but about the world that existed before it.

That context helps them understand why the attacks were so profound, why the loss was so deeply felt, and why the courage, sacrifice, unity, and service that followed still matter 25 years later.

Before we ask the next generation to remember, we need to help them understand.

09/08/2026

Participating in the regional meeting of the Govs Children's Cabinet today. How can we better serve the complex needs of our youth today? It takes the village.

09/03/2026

A huge THANK YOU to every public school IT professional across North Dakota!

These coffee-guzzling, overstressed, overworked and underpaid heroes keep BPS, and schools across our entire state, running every day.

The transition to Infinite Campus has been a tremendous undertaking. Add in all the other tools, apps, software and technology with a blinking green light, and it is remarkable what these teams manage to keep working!

This image came from my technology team today, and it says it all.

To our BPS technology team and school IT professionals everywhere: You are amazing, and your work matters. THANK YOU!

09/03/2026

Lisa and I are grateful to the Bismarck Public Schools Foundation for helping us establish the Dr. Jeff and Lisa Fastnacht Scholarship.

While our names are attached to this scholarship, the story behind it is much bigger than the two of us. First, I want to recognize Lisa. For nearly 30 years, she has quietly and faithfully done the work of a teacher, caring for kids, meeting them where they are, and helping them believe in what they can become. I have had the privilege of watching her commitment to students throughout our life together, and she represents so much of what I believe is good about public education.

This scholarship is also only possible because of my parents. Their lifetime of hard work, sacrifice, and careful stewardship created opportunities for our family that they probably never fully realized. The gifts they left our family gave Lisa and I the ability to do something that will hopefully benefit others for years to come. I am deeply grateful for what they built, what they taught us, and the example they left behind.

Education also runs deep in both of our families. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and others have made their lives in education. Across generations, we have seen firsthand the difference a good teacher can make, not only for a student, but for a family and a community. That is really what this scholarship is about.

We need talented young people to choose education. We need them to see teaching as meaningful work and to know there are people and communities ready to support them along the way.

Each year, the scholarship will support a graduating senior who plans to pursue a career in education, alternating between graduates of Bismarck Public Schools and Ellendale Public Schools. Those two communities have played an important role in our lives and our careers, and it is meaningful to us that this scholarship will give back to both.

We are thankful for everyone whose work, generosity, and example helped make this possible.

The Bismarck Public Schools Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of the Dr. Jeff and Lisa Fastnacht Scholarship, honoring a shared commitment to public education and the belief that great educators have the power to transform lives, strengthen communities, and shape the future.

Together, Jeff and Lisa Fastnacht have devoted more than six decades to serving students and schools across South Dakota and North Dakota. Both began their educational careers in Britton, South Dakota, and went on to serve students, educators, and communities throughout the region.

Lisa served Ellendale Public Schools from 1996–2018 as an elementary teacher and later a Title I teacher. In 2018, she joined Mandan Public Schools as an English Language (EL) teacher, continuing her commitment to helping every child feel supported, valued, and capable of reaching their full potential.

Jeff began his educational leadership career in North Dakota in 1996 as the elementary principal and Technology Director for Ellendale Public Schools. He became superintendent of Ellendale Public Schools in 2002, serving the district for sixteen years. In 2018, he joined Mandan Public Schools as assistant superintendent before becoming superintendent of Bismarck Public Schools in 2023.

Recognizing the ongoing need to recruit, develop, and retain outstanding educators, the Fastnachts created this scholarship to encourage young people to pursue careers in education and celebrate the meaningful impact teachers make in the lives of children every day.

It is Jeff and Lisa’s hope that this scholarship will inspire future educators to lead with purpose, serve with compassion, and make a lasting difference in the lives of their students.

To learn more about the Dr. Jeff and Lisa Fastnacht Scholarship, including applicant criteria, the application form, and ways to contribute, visit:
https://bpsfoundation.com/project/dr-jeff-and-lisa-fastnacht-scholarship/

09/01/2026

🍎 🍴You can make a difference!

Help Bismarck Public Schools reduce student meal debt and ensure every student can focus on learning, not an unpaid meal balance.

Make a difference in a child’s life today. Give:
https://bpsfoundation.com/donations/student-lunch-assistance/

08/31/2026

Learn more about the 2026 BPS Facilities Bond at one of these public meetings. Vote Nov 3, 2026.

08/31/2026

At BPS, we believe parents are the primary educators of their children, and we respect the important role families play in making decisions about their child’s education.

That belief is behind our Family Library Access Plan. BPS is the first school district in North Dakota to provide families this level of choice over their child’s access to school library materials.

Parents can review what is available in their child’s library and choose to opt in or opt out of specific books, titles, or content.

This is about something pretty simple: parents know their children best. Our role is to provide great learning opportunities while giving families meaningful ways to be informed, involved, and make choices for their own children.