Communication, listening, transparency, and trust. These were the words that I heard often as I was reporting for Big Ideas 2026. Many of the organizational leaders whose work centers on bridge building in the K-12 field explained that there was no “kumbaya moment” to solve some of educators’ toughest challenges. Instead, they are working to solve their problems by building relationships close to home. Over the course of my interviews, teachers, principals, district leaders, school board members, and leadership experts frequently shared similar sentiments with me.

In late April, I reached out to Melissa Sadorf of the National Rural Education Association who told me about two districts facing one of K-12 leadership’s biggest heartbreaks and toughest jobs: closing a school. At the end of the 2024-25 school year, Fort Ransom’s superintendent in rural North Dakota had to do just that. The district leader opted to work with his neighboring superintendent in Lisbon to create a “new chapter” for his students—one that would combine the two districts two years down the road. Several years in the making, the plan was not theirs to finalize. It ultimately fell to the voters of Fort Ransom and Lisbon to decide the future of their districts in a special election this summer.

I asked the superintendents and school board members of Fort Ransom and Lisbon to share, in their own words, what they were up against and how they avoided blowing up their communities which have held close ties for generations.

Rounding out Big Ideas, Education Week Deputy Managing Editor Kevin Bushweller takes a hard look at the ingredients leaders should use to build strong and stable relationships in their school communities in his reported essay. (Spoiler alert: Listening helps. It’s not just about being nice.) Reporter Caitlynn Peetz Stephens covers this year’s EdWeek Research Center’s national survey of school board members and the kinds of strategies they are using to reduce friction in their communities.

Meet the districts

Separated by 18 miles, the rural districts of Fort Ransom and Lisbon in North Dakota successfully worked together to create a new school community for Fort Ransom students after its only school closed. Their proximity and closely held ties over generations created advantages and challenges as they navigated the reorganization process over several years. In July of 2027, the districts will officially combine into one.

What eased the transition?

The two communities sit in close proximity.

The towns are only 20 minutes apart, just over the Ransom County's average travel time to work, according to the U.S. Census' American Community Survey from 2024. This makes Fort Ransom easily accessible to Lisbon by school bus.

Many residents share local roots.

Nearly two-thirds of Ransom County residents were born in the state. Forty-two percent are of Norwegian descent. Many families have lived in the area for generations and have a deep investment in the future health of their communities and their schools. As Fort Ransom superintendent Steven L. Johnson shared in his Big Ideas essay, "The people affected by our decisions aren't strangers."

Students generally come to school with fewer external needs.

Both districts have many fewer students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch than the state or the national averages. Fort Ransom had 14% of students eligible in 2022-23 and Lisbon had 10% of students, while 31% of North Dakota students and 53% of U.S. students were eligible.

An expanded tax base eases the districts’ tight budgets.

Educating students in small districts costs more. Fort Ransom's per-pupil spending was over $31,500 in 2022-23. That's roughly 60% higher than the North Dakota average of almost $19,800 per student. And, between 2009-10 and 2022-23, total expenditures for the Fort Ransom district increased 55% while total revenue increased by only 21%. When the districts officially combine, the united district will have less financial strain because of a more efficient use of resources.

What presented challenges?

Students will have to adjust to a different student-teacher ratio.

Students at Fort Ransom were accustomed to a lot of teacher attention. The pupil-teacher ratio was just over 4 to 1 during the 2024-25 school year, its last in operation. In the Lisbon school district, that ratio, which is more in line with the state average, is nearly three times higher.

The tax implications remain an open question.

Historically, taxes have been higher in Lisbon than Fort Ransom. It is unclear what the tax implications for the new combined district will be for Fort Ransom residents down the road. The new school board for the combined district will set the budget for the 2027-28 year.

The school closure comes with a sense of local loss.

In many rural areas, schools are a big part of residents' social life and a deep source of pride, as the education leaders from Fort Ransom and Lisbon attest. It was a painful decision for the Fort Ransom community to close its 100-year-old school.  It cut deep. "Recognize that grief and pride can coexist with optimism about the future," writes Fort Ransom school board member Chelsey Jones in her Big Ideas essay.

Among a small population, every vote counted.

For the reorganization to move forward, a majority of voters in both Fort Ransom and Lisbon had to approve the change in a special election on July 22, 2026. Ahead of the vote, residents expressed concerns about turnout, especially in Fort Ransom where the population hovers around 100 in total.