Big Ideas 2026: Building Bridges So Students Can Thrive
“Leaders in small rural communities can’t afford to look at the tops of our boots.” That’s how the rural North Dakota district leader Steven L. Johnson described the personal challenge of facing one of the most difficult decisions of his career: closing the only school in his small town for Fort Ransom. In a community with deep ties, where no one is a stranger, a decision like this isn’t just about the numbers. “The people affected,” Johnson explains, “aren’t strangers—they’re family, former classmates, former students, neighbors, friends, and the parents and grandparents of children we’ve known for years.”
What makes the story of the Fort Ransom school district unique is how Johnson approached the school-closing decision and what happened next. It’s about community building and partnership, inviting people in and then letting go. It’s a lesson for anyone, regardless of district size or K-12 role, in managing conflict and building something better.
This year’s Big Ideas special report is an exploration of building trust through communication and curiosity. It’s a roadmap for making meaningful connections with your students and colleagues as you look ahead to the new school year. May yours be a great one.
Elizabeth Rich,
Executive Project Editor
‘Our School Leaves Town Every Day’: A Story of Rural Resilience and SurvivalFor more than a year, this town’s only school has stood empty. The spirit of community endures.
Two Districts Pave a Road Toward a Shared Future and SurvivalA rural school district was facing the urgent threat of dissolution. Its leaders found another way.
1/Fort Ransom School closed its doors to students at the end of the 2024-25 school year. It was the small rural community’s only school since 1916.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
2/Volunteers man the polling station at Fort Ransom School for a July 22, 2026, special election, which officially approved the school district’s reorganization plan.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
3/The hallways of Fort Ransom School now stand empty of students. At the time of closing, the school had roughly a dozen remaining students.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
4/The town of Lisbon, N.D., is home to roughly 2,200 people.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
5/Children take the bus from Fort Ransom to Lisbon for their first day of the new school year.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
6/Sara Fridrych watches her daughter, Tacy, board the bus that will take her to Lisbon Middle School from Fort Ransom.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
7/Shelby Olson walks her children to the school bus departing Fort Ransom for Lisbon.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
8/En route to Lisbon from Fort Ransom, student Mack Odegard talks to bus driver Darla Smith.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
9/A Lisbon school district bus makes the rounds for morning pick-up.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
10/The Lisbon Elementary School playground buzzes with activity on the first day of school.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
11/Tacy Fridrych, center left, chats with friends outside Lisbon Middle School on the first day of school.— Natalie Behring for Education Week
Lead Photo by Natalie Behring for Education Week
Education Week’s coverage on building connections and overcoming polarization is supported in part by grants from the Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project, Hopelab, and the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.