The Bismarck Public School District will look to go with phase one of the Richholt School expansion.

A budget to expand the former elementary school that now houses programs for the Bismarck Early Childhood Education Program is up for discussion at the Bismarck School Board meeting Monday.

The board meets at 5:15 p.m. in the Tom Baker Meeting Room in the City/County Building.

Phase one of the project would be for five classrooms, three offices and remodeling and parking at the Richholt so that it can accept the people from the BECEP site on Park Avenue. It will be paid in part by a $335,000 grant from Head Start.

BECEP offers programs for children from birth to 5 years old and their families. The grant is for Head Start, a program for families of preschool age children meeting income guidelines.

The district budgeted $300,000 in the district's general fund for 2005-06, and it will have $69,000 from the sale of two buildings on Park Avenue. The district sold the two buildings, including the current BECEP building there, for a net profit of $350,641, according to a report from the superintendent. The district is reserving $220,000 of the profits to purchase a site for an elementary school and $61,000 to pay the $81,000 in rent over the next two years. The remainder of the rent will be paid by two special education grants.

The district is budgeting $750,000, not including fees, for the first phase of the project. The second phase of the project is for a joint office space.

The district had a request for proposal out for an architect for the project and will have a decision by the end of the month.

The board also will talk about cutting the behind the wheels program and eliminating the driver's education requirement after this school year. In the place of the driver's education class, the district would offer a career education class.

Completing a driver's education course and behind the wheel training is required for students to apply for a driver's permit in North Dakota. A teen must be at least 14 years old to apply for a learning permit.

Driver's education is not a graduation requirement. Students must pass 21 credits to graduate, 13 of which are required and eight are electives. The required classes are four credits of English, three credits of social studies, two credits of math, two credits of science and two credits of physical education.

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