Bismarck Public Schools could be a quarter of the way toward funding a new career and technical center if Bismarck voters pass a sales tax increase in June.

The Bismarck School Board approved a resolution of support for the People, Parks and Places sales tax initiative at its meeting Monday night. The sales tax initiative includes $2.5 million for a new career and technical center proposed to be built at Bismarck State College across from the vocational technical center.

"(We) have to find funds … This is a huge boost," board member Dan Kuntz said.

If the initiative passes in June, the district would receive $2.5 million over five years, Johnson said.

The district estimates a 60,000-square-foot building would cost about $9 million. The district has discussed possible locations at BSC with administration there. It was narrowed down to the current site across the street from the vocational facility. Lease details should be available in early May, Superintendent Paul Johnson said.

The school district's CTE building is separate from BSC's career and technology institute building that is partially funded by centers of excellence money from the Legislature. The school district is leasing space in the vocational technical center, and the lease is up in 2009. The district needs more space for its career and technical education classes beyond what is available in its current location. Additionally, BSC needs more space for its programs.

The People, Parks and Places initiative increases the sales tax a half-cent for five years, then decreases to a quarter-cent increase. The extra sales tax revenue would be used to fund identified capital improvement projects and set aside funding for facility improvements and land acquisition.

In other board news:

The district is reviewing its policies for reviewing texts, library media and supplemental materials. The district does not have a contested item at this time, Johnson said.

The changes, not yet approved, ask for a person to go to the teacher and principal if there is a nontextbook item that is objectionable to try to resolve the concern. An item can be reviewed by the district materials review committee if it cannot be resolved at the school.

The committee would weigh the reasons for the challenged item being chosen as a teaching tool against the reasons for reconsideration.

The district also selected its 10th media person of the year. Vicky Weiss, from the Bismarck Tribune, was selected. She was called an "unsung hero" by the district's public relations director Renae Walker because of her efforts to get school information into Hometown News on Sundays.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)