North Dakota Education Could Lose Millions in Federal Funding - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

North Dakota Education Could Lose Millions in Federal Funding

The White House reports more than a million dollars could be lost for primary and secondary education in North Dakota.

Around one and a half million could be lost for educational staff serving children with disabilities.

And Head Start services could be eliminated for approximately 200 children across the state.

"I think one of the big things people don't realize is the ripple effect, there's a childcare crisis here in the state, a lot of the parents that trust us to watch and educate their children, they will have to find other means to watch their kids and there's not many places out there." says Joey Kolosky/West River Head Start

Superintendent of the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, Kirsten Baesler says many schools can start planning for this worst case scenario for the following school year, but other educational entities like Head Start could face an immediate loss.

"March first, our school districts that receive Impact Aid, which is our two school districts that have Air Force bases as well as all of our reservation schools, will immediately receive a reduction in funding on March 1st, and there would be significant loss of funding for this school year and into the next school year." says Kirsten Baesler, Superintendent of Public Instruction.

"This would mean an immediate funding loss, and I don't like to scare my families and employees, I like to keep them apprised of the situation, we're all hoping and praying it doesn't happen, but we are ready if it does." says Kolosky.

The West River Head Start staff is looking at contingency plans, like combining classrooms, but could lose three staff members, 14 kids and one classroom.

Baesler says Special Education and Title One funding are the areas that could be hurt the most.

She says they are trying to keep school officials informed as they wait to find out more information from the Department of Education.