2 weeks Ago By Jamestown Sun staff report
The following stories from this week appeared on www.jamestownsun.com and in The Jamestown Sun.
JSDC board approves $1 million for housing grant program ADVERTISEMENT The Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. Board of Directors unanimously approved on Monday, March 10, a forgivable loan of $1 million to the city of Jamestown that will be used as matching dollars for a grant program that helps create residential housing development. The funding is contingent on approval of Senate Bill 2225 in the state Legislature.
The bill was approved in the Senate and is now in the House. SB 2225 establishes the Housing for Opportunity, Mobility and Empowerment (HOME) grant program in the North Dakota Department of Commerce. The Commerce Department would award grants to political subdivisions to build infrastructure to support affordable market-rate housing.
The grant program would be funded one time and ends on June 30, 2027. The program provides grant dollars for one-third of the infrastructure costs for residential development projects. The local political subdivision and the developer of the residential lots would each provide one-third of the costs for residential development projects.
In related business, the JSDC board unanimously approved deobligating $500,000 for a housing program for the development of residential lots within Jamestown city limits. The $500,000 was reallocated to use as matching dollars for the HOME grant program. The JSDC’s housing program has not been used by any developers.
Carmichael Classical Christian School launches capital campaign Carmichael Classical Christian School in Jamestown has launched a capital campaign for a physical location of a K-12 school with the goal of it opening in the fall of 2026, according to Rebekah Drahosh, head of the school. ADVERTISEMENT “Our hope is to have a good portion of the funds by the end of this spring raised so that we can move forward and kind of have our first couple year’s deficit covered and then continue to fundraise just while the school is up and running,” Drahosh said. “We will be tuition funded so eventually when our enrollment is high, our model tuition will cover all expenses for the school.
” The goal is for Carmichael Classical Christian School to open in fall 2026 with an enrollment of 58 students in grades K-12 and employing 14 full-time staff in the first year, Drahosh said. For the capital campaign, she said the school needs about $2.5 million for a rented space, salaries and benefits for K-12 teachers and all upfront costs of furniture, technology and the school’s curriculum.
“It really covers through year six when we would be deficit free,” said Brianna Taylor, curriculum director. Drahosh said the school is seeking an additional $1 million in scholarship funds to offset tuition costs for families who need help. Carmichael Classical Christian School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is affiliated with two accrediting agencies — Classical Latin School Association and the Association of Classical Christian Schools.
The school’s mission is to train students to love God with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength by partnering with parents in their children’s education, according to the school’s website. ADVERTISEMENT Library board prefers providing joint library services The James River Valley Library System Board of Directors unanimously approved on Wednesday, March 12, a preference to have the city of Jamestown and Stutsman County continue to offer joint library services . The option to continue offering joint library services means the services would continue as they are now with the city providing 15 mills to the library system and the county providing 4 mills or a maximum budget cap if passed by the Legislature.
If there is a budget cap, the county would need to agree to a ballot measure during the 2026 primary election for a mill levy cap increase to support joint library services. House Bill 1176 in the North Dakota Legislature proposes a 3% cap on property tax levy increases yearly for political subdivisions. The library board discussed proposals to continue providing library services for city and county residents and on the dissolution process for joint library services.
The Jamestown City Council approved in October providing a two-year notice to the Stutsman County Commission that the city of Jamestown will withdraw from the memorandum of agreement to provide joint library services. The library board also approved a preference of an alternative option to dissolve joint library services and have the city of Jamestown operate the library. Stutsman County would contract with the city for library services with a financial contribution up to 4 mills to ensure library services can be provided to county residents.
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