By Lola Rohl, Minnetonka High School
President Trump’s plan to shut down the Department of Education and cut federal funding for public education would deeply harm schools across the country. Rural schools, which already struggle to pay competitive teacher salaries, offer advanced programs, and provide basic student resources, would be hit the hardest.
If this moves forward, a generation of students could lose access to the quality education they need to prepare for the future. Minnesota’s state legislature must step up and increase funding for rural schools, to mitigate a growing population of undereducated rural youth.
As a senior in high school who has attended both rural and urban schools in Minnesota, I’ve experienced the difference firsthand. At my rural school, I had fewer resources and opportunities.
Minnesota currently allocates $23.2 billion (about $71 per person in the US), almost a third of its state budget for education, according to the Minnesota Reformer. Federal funding accounts for 5% of the state’s budget for the 2025-2026 school year. That’s about $12.6 billion (about $39 per person in the US), according to reporting from the Sahan Journal. While that may seem small, it plays a critical role in keeping schools running.
Since schools receive funding based on the number of students they serve, rural schools inherently face structural funding challenges because they serve smaller student populations.
“More kids equal more staff. More staff equals a wider variety of classes taught and opportunities available,” wrote Jason Cline, Behavior Intervention Specialist for the McGregor School District, in an email to me in early October.
Programs like the Rural Education Achievement Program are designed to “assist rural school districts in using federal resources more effectively to improve the quality of instruction and student academic achievement,” according to the Minnesota Department of Education. But efficiency has only gone so far. At a certain point, schools simply need more funding.
Cline said the state should be doing more for rural schools.
“The budget cuts that rural schools are experiencing are hurting districts a lot though,” he said. “Those cuts are coming from a state level leadership that has mis-allocated funds at an alarming rate.”
The Trump administration is rolling out a block grant that combines discretionary grant programs and formula funding. In theory, this allows states more flexibility to substitute these funds for their own. Yet, research from The Center On Budget and Policy Priorities shows that block grant programs are inefficient, at least in the last 20 years, where they have not adjusted for inflation, lack accountability, and are often cut entirely over time.
The administration’s Simple Funding Program is no different. It seems more crucial than ever to protect rural students’ education and their schools’ resources, but the Trump Administration is making it even more difficult nationally. In summer 2024, $74 million in federal grants was withheld from Minnesota school districts. That included $105,000 from Hutchinson and $177,000 from Albert Lea. Those cuts deepen the burden on rural districts already stretched thin.
Minnesota students are being left behind. Whether a student chooses technical college, the workforce straight out of high school or higher education, they should not be disadvantaged. Their success should not depend on how much money the government decides to allocate. Every student deserves access to strong academic programs, and resources for post-secondary pathways that open doors to future opportunities.
One of the reasons I moved from a rural to an urban school was because I lacked resources to prepare for my future.
“The movement is going to make public schools a thing of the past if we don’t do something to make parents and families feel heard and valued,” says Cline.
Trump’s education agenda threatens to widen these inequities for Minnesota students, and many across the country. Minnesota lawmakers must act now to increase rural school funding and offset lost federal support. This is more than a budget issue. It’s about the future of students like me.
Lola worked with Sahan Journal Audience Growth Manager and ThreeSixty Alum Samantha HoangLong to complete her story. This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2025 Opinion and Commentary Workshop for youth, in partnership with Sahan Journal and MinnPost.
