Should local public school districts assist nearby Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools with building new facilities?
Could local districts help BIE schools?
Readers responding to Parts I and II of the "Separate and Unequal" editorial series have raised questions that merit more-detailed responses.
December 7, 2014 at 3:00AM
They could, but it's not realistic to expect local school districts to absorb the federal government's education obligation to American Indian children. These federal responsibilities flow from land treaties signed with tribes in the 19th century. Local school districts, which typically depend on state and local funding, have their own challenges and needs. That's especially true of those near reservations. Many districts in areas with extensive federal or reservation acreage have weaker property tax bases. A decades-old federal program called impact aid already supplements many of these schools to make up for this.
Couldn't we just send BIE students to nearby public schools?
Many public schools near reservations do provide some classes based on Indian culture and language, but these usually are at the periphery of the day instead of at the core. The schools also may not be ready to absorb an influx of new students. In addition, BIE schools were founded to provide a more-intensive culture-based curriculum, and they offer a distinctively different school day.
Now that Gov. Tim Walz’s vice presidential bid has ended, there’s important work to do at home. Reinvigorating that “One Minnesota” campaign is a must.
