President standing firm to abolish Department of Education, possible MN impacts looming
Mixed feelings are starting to brew as President Donald Trump continues to hold firm on dismantling the Department of Education (ED).
Addressing reporters Tuesday, the president said, “We spend more per pupil than any other country in the world and we’re ranked at the bottom of the list — we’re ranked very badly.” Trump later added, “What I want to do is let the states run schools.”
Policy and curriculum are already vastly controlled by the states — but the federal funding from the ED is where a lot of concern about the department dissolving is rooted.
“Educating our kids doesn’t need to be a partisan sport,” Rep. Cheryl Youakim (DFL) of Hopkins said.
Rep. Youakim is co-chair of the Education Finance Committee and says 10% of money for Minnesota schools comes from the federal government — she now fears dollars from the ED are in jeopardy.
“That would decimate our school districts. We can’t make that up at the state level, and just the mere discussion of it creates instability and uncertainty in our school districts,” Youakim added.
At least one House member on the other side of the aisle does not have the same concerns.
“I actually don’t see a problem with it,” Rep. Peggy Bennett (R) of Albert Lea said. “I think they’re just looking at reducing bureaucracy, our schools are being micromanaged right now.”
The order that the president is expected to sign would order the Department of Education chief to “wind down the agency” and urge “Congress to pass a measure abolishing it.”
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to every member of Congress from Minnesota, including the two senators – as of posting this story, only Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum responded to say she does not support the president’s effort.
In a brief statement, the Minnesota Department of Education said that federal funding that supports special education and low-income students are “… essential supports for some of the most vulnerable students in our state.”
That includes funding through the ‘Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’ — also known as IDEA.
“That is to ensure that individuals with disabilities have a free and fair and full education,” Naveh Eldar, chief executive officer with The Arc Minnesota, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
He feels this could lead to a possible funding gap that will need to be filled.
“It’s going it have the potential to just really impact what they have access to, having a fair education, and Minnesota is going to have some big decisions to make if that happens,” Eldar said.