MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Supreme Court could decide whether the state failed in its responsibility to educate poor and minority students.

The closely-watched case is before the court Tuesday and could result in the first Twin Cities school desegregation plan in two decades.

The case began in 2015 when seven Minneapolis and St. Paul families and a community group filed a lawsuit over the quality of education.

A Hennepin County judge ruled in 2016 the parents had enough grounds to sue. But an appeals court later decided the courts cannot define the standards for a quality education. The plaintiffs then took their case to the Supreme Court.