Original Research by School Decision on Westhope 17
Westhope 17 is a small, rural public school district in Bottineau County, North Dakota, serving students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across two schools: Westhope Elementary School and Westhope High School. The enrollment is small enough that every grade level has only a handful of students, which means children grow up alongside the same peers year after year. The student body is predominantly white, with very small numbers of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Free and reduced-price lunch data was not available, so the economic profile of the student population cannot be characterized here. Information on special education enrollment and English learner status was also missing.
On state assessments, Westhope uses the ND A-PLUS exam, and the most recent results present a mixed picture across grade levels. In math, third and fifth grade proficiency fell in a moderate to fairly strong range, while seventh grade results dipped somewhat and eighth grade landed lower. English language arts followed a similar pattern, with third, seventh, and eighth grade in a moderate band, though fifth grade ELA was the weakest result across both subjects. Eighth grade science also came in on the lower end. The state changed both the assessment name and the proficiency cut scores for this testing cycle, which means these results are not directly comparable to prior years and no clean trend could be computed. Participation held steady across all tested grades. A parent looking at the eighth grade math, science, and fifth grade ELA results may want to ask the school how it supports students in those areas and what instructional changes are underway.
Graduation rate data was not provided for this district, so it is not possible to characterize how Westhope High School performs on that measure. Course access, staffing, discipline, and attendance information were all absent from the available data, which leaves a gap in understanding the full school environment. No programs data was available, so details about AP offerings, dual credit, career pathways, or extracurriculars could not be included. Civil rights data was also not reported.
The housing market in Westhope is distinctly affordable. The typical home value sits well below both the North Dakota state benchmark and the national benchmark, and recent values have declined modestly over the past year. The price-to-income ratio is low, meaning homes here are relatively attainable compared to income levels, and estimated monthly mortgage costs are modest. Rental data was not available. For a family considering a move to the area, housing costs would likely present little barrier, though the declining values may reflect broader economic or population pressures in this part of Bottineau County.
A search for recent district-level changes turned up little. No referendums, curriculum changes, property-tax shifts, or other parent-relevant developments were identified in available sources, so there is nothing to report on that front. This does not mean nothing is happening; it means the public record did not surface it.
What the data does show is a very small, close-knit district in an affordable community, with academic results that vary notably by grade and subject. The early elementary grades hold their own in math, while the middle grades show softer spots, particularly in eighth grade math and science. Families drawn to small-town rural life where their children will receive individual attention in small classes may find Westhope a comfortable fit. Those same families should go in with eyes open about the gaps in publicly available information and ask the district directly about graduation outcomes, program offerings, and support services that the data does not capture.
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