Levi Bachmeier, a business manager for West Fargo Public Schools, has been appointed to the State Board of Public School Education for a six-year term. Engstrom, chief operations officer for the Central Regional Education Association, was also reappointed. Both terms will begin on July 1st.
Bachmeier has an extensive background in education and government. Prior to joining the West Fargo School District, he worked for North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum’s 2016 gubernatorial campaign and later served as an advisor in the governor’s office. Bachmeier also held the position of policy director for Burgum in 2018 before joining the West Fargo School District in 2019. Before this, he was a social studies teacher and acting high school principal on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
Engstrom and Bachmeier were selected from a list of candidates submitted by various educational organizations in North Dakota. The State Board of Public School Education is composed of six members appointed by Governor Burgum, along with state Superintendent Kirsten Baesler. The board is responsible for making final decisions on matters such as annexations, dissolutions, reorganizations, and property transfers for school districts in North Dakota. Engstrom represents several counties in the state, while Bachmeier will represent a different set of counties.
