In 2022, Fort Yates Public School (FYPS) District and the Standing Rock Community Grant School (SRCGS) boards came together to discuss the drafting of a new cooperative agreement. The previous joint powers agreement from 2003 (JPA) had not been properly dissolved by neither party. With this in mind, the FYPS District drafted a new agreement that we felt addressed and would resolve past issues that caused the previous JPA to dissolve. Legal advisement through the FYPS, SRCGS, ND Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's (SRST) legal councils was conducted and considered through the process of approval. Earlier this spring in 2024, the proposed cooperative agreement was approved by both school boards and now is awaiting approval from the SRST Chairwoman and our North Dakota governor.
Our district has created a video for our public to be more informed of the benefits of how the cooperation of both school systems sharing resources would benefit our school community and especially our students. Both school systems took into consideration long term planning for infrastructure for a new high school, competitive salaries for teachers, new school housing, and innovative learning opportunities for our all our tribal students.
Several meetings have been held between the FYPS and the SRCGS Board, SRST HEW committee, SRST Council, and ND Department of Public Instruction to gain feedback.
Once the agreement is approved by the SRST, we will publish notice of the agreement, and a public hearing will be held upon request.
A draft of the approved agreement by both school boards is also available here on our site for the public to review. Proposed Cooperative Agreement