Join Powers Agreements
In the early 1990’s, North Dakota’s School District Boundary Restructuring Law encouraged school districts to implement a local pan to join together voluntarily for collaborative provision of otherwise unavailable or inefficient services. The Legislature made funds available as well as incentive payments per student for collaborating schools.
Initially, observes expected few districts to take advantage of the option but by 1993 over 101 school districts had voluntarily collaborated to form 18 consortia. While types of services varied, they included:

Services	Initiatives
Offer/expand foreign language	Expand staff development
Expand art curriculum	Initiate curriculum development
Expand counseling Service	Initiate facilities studies
Improve library service	Initiate transportation study
Technology improvement	Initiate contract study
Start a gifted and talented program

Participants and the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction were enthused and were convinced that fiscal and programmatic improvements were possible. Between 1990 and 1993 the state budget for the project increased from ½ million to $6 million. In 1993 the legislature ceased funding the unexpected burgeoning initiative and phased out the law.

According to the UND study of Inter-district Collaboration in North Dakota, “If the purpose of the Law was to entice officials to consider alternatives, it succeeded.  The level of innovative activity generated by the Act, combined with the enhancements for students, emerging concepts of community, and alternative school governance possibilities that emerged was profound. Two of the eighteen original consortia voted to reorganized and consolidate. Collaboration continues at most others, unfunded or alternatively funded. School districts continue to share special education staff and facilities, vocational centers, cooperative in-service provision, interactive distance education mechanisms, and superintendents and other personnel. Although incentive funding has ended, collaboration continues because administrators, staff, parents and students recognized that it makes sense.”