Education headlines
Daily news stories
Stories from media sources around the state, updated Monday through Friday:
Friday, March 6, 2026
Star Tribune
Plan to close Bemidji elementary school serving mostly Native American students sparks pushback
J.W. Smith Elementary School is the last public school in downtown Bemidji. The district plans to close it later this year, the second elementary to close in the city in five years.
Pioneer Press
Families turn to states for civil rights support as Trump dismantles the Education Department
One of the Education Department’s biggest jobs is to police discrimination in America’s schools. But amid mass firings and shifting priorities, that role has waned. In its place, there’s an emerging push for states to step up.
KTTC
RPS to ask Minnesota Legislature to change school board election system
If the bill passes, RPS will transition from an “alley system” to an “at-large system”—removing candidates’ need to pick a seat number to participate in the race and instead having all candidates compete against each other.
Session Daily
Safe schools funding increase sought for first time in 13 years
Safe schools revenue is primarily spent on school resource officers, but can also be used for security, drug abuse and gang resistance programs, counseling, social work, and chemical dependency service.
