Award of a $201,750 contract for Indian education to the Department of Public Instruction, State of North Dakota, was announced today for the Department of the Interior by W. Barton Greenwood, Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Indian education in the public schools of North Dakota has been partially supported by Federal funds under a contract with the state since 1948. To qualify for these funds under the Johnson O'Malley Act of 1936, school districts must show that Indian students and nontaxable Indian land within the boundaries of their district constitute a financial burden. The amount received by each district is based on a computation of several need factors. The first contract aided 16 school districts enrolling 239 Indian students.
Working in close cooperation with the State, the objective of the Bureau of Indian Affairs is to develop public school opportunities for all Indian children on the same basis that public schools are available for non-Indian children in the State.
Between 1911 and 1945, 12 Federally operated Indian schools in the State were closed and the schools transferred to public school jurisdiction or the Indian children were integrated into the existing public school system. The Bureau still operates 13 Federal schools for Indians in the State,
During the 1955-56 school year, Johnson O'Malley aid was provided to 37 public school districts enrolling 729 Indian children.
