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What will happen to Minnesota schools if the Department of Education is dismantled?

What could happen to Minnesota schools if the Department of Education goes away
What could happen to Minnesota schools if the Department of Education goes away 01:41

MINNEAPOLIS — The Trump administration now says it may dismantle the Department of Education. So, what could happen to Minnesota kids and schools if it goes away?

"The nation's report card was released this week, and the news is not good," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "It showed that U.S. students had record low reading comprehension scores last year."

Dr. Joe Nathan resides in Minnesota and has advised former presidents on the topic.

"The department does fundamentally four things. It says you may, you must, you can't... and here's money," Nathan said. "The president has said that he wants to send money directly to school districts and states."

The Department of Education has estimated to allocate over $1.2 billion to Minnesota this year, using it for financial aid, Pell Grants, community learning centers and more.

"We don't know yet what's exactly going to happen," Nathan said. "We need to answer them in the next few months because school districts in this state by law must provide budgets that are balanced by the end of June."

In a statement, Amy Smith, dean of the University of St. Thomas' School of Education, said, "Closing the U.S. Department of Education would have significant impacts on both K-12 schools and students seeking financial aid for college," adding, "the department enforces civil rights laws in schools, including protections for students with disabilities and against discrimination. Removing it could weaken these protections."

For Nathan, there's a bottom line.

"What could help more youngsters achieve their dreams and potential?" Nathan said. "Anything that gets in the way of that is a problem."

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