High school students in North Dakota would have an opportunity to become experts on their state's heritage under a bill being considered by the state Legislature.

The measure would require high schools in the state to offer a semester-long class called "North Dakota Studies" at least once every other year.

Rep. Lyle Hanson, D-Jamestown, said he sponsored the bill to give students an option to learn about their state's history at a higher level than what's currently offered in elementary school and eighth grade.

"The history of the state is very important," Hanson said, noting that students already get a healthy dose of U.S. and world history.

North Dakota Studies would include information about the state's geography, history and agricultural heritage. It would be optional for students and would only have to be offered once every two years.

Hanson said this arrangement would make the class available without placing a burden on school districts to hire teachers or replace other course offerings.

Current state curriculum requires one year of U.S. history and one year of world history in high school. Overall, students must take four years of social studies.

"I think if the idea is to have students become acquainted with North Dakota in a survey sense, eighth grade is enough," said Bismarck School Superintendent Paul Johnson. "If we want to give them a greater depth of understanding, a high school course would be a good thing."

Johnson said his district is still studying the measure and has not yet come out for or against it.

Because the course is optional, it probably wouldn't have a significant impact on staffing needs or other costs, he said.

For the state's many rural districts, which have fewer teachers and other resources, it could present more of a burden.

Sen. Ryan Taylor, D-Towner, who co-sponsored the measure, said rural districts can alleviate the cost through the use of distance learning.

"By making it available through the Internet, not every district will have to offer it," he said.

A hearing on the measure will be held at 9 a.m. Monday by the House Education Committee in the Pioneer Room.

The bill is HB1172.

(Reach reporter Jonathan Rivoli at 223-8482 or jonathan.rivoli@;bismarcktribune.com.)