Report: MN Gov. Tim Walz rejected Catholic schools’ plea for security funds

Imagine a $17.6 billion budget surplus, yet not a dime spared for the safety of 72,000 students in nonpublic schools — that’s the reality under Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D).

In a nutshell, Walz has turned down repeated requests from Catholic schools for security funding to guard against school shootings, despite the state’s massive surplus in 2023 and the fact that public schools receive similar grants, as Breitbart reports.

Since 2020, nonpublic schools — encompassing Independent, Catholic, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim institutions — have been pushing to join the Safe Schools Program, which funds emergency training, security enhancements, and mental health support for school districts.

Nonpublic schools excluded from safety funding

But here’s the rub: the program excludes nonpublic schools, charter schools, and intermediate districts, remaining a levy-only initiative for public districts.

The Minnesota Catholic Conference, speaking for the state’s six dioceses, has been vocal, noting, “There are approximately 72,000 students enrolled” in these diverse schools. That’s a hefty number of kids left unprotected by a program that could easily extend its reach.

Twice in two years, the Conference appealed to Walz for security grants, emphasizing the urgent need to shield students from tragedies like school shootings. Their pleas, however, fell on deaf ears.

Tragic examples highlight urgent need

In 2023, the Conference pointed to a horrifying incident at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, where a mass shooting unfolded at a nonpublic Christian school. They wrote, “The latest school shooting…sadly confirms” the vulnerability of their institutions. It’s a chilling reminder that danger doesn’t discriminate by school type.

Closer to home, a devastating shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis left two dead and 14 wounded, with the suspect identified as transgender. This tragedy only amplifies the call for equal safety measures across all schools.

Yet, despite a 2022 legislative push with bipartisan support from the Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party to allocate $44 per student for security — regardless of school affiliation — Walz refused to call a special session to pass it. Seems like a missed opportunity to protect kids over political posturing.

Budget surplus ignored

In 2023, with a staggering $17.6 billion surplus, the Conference again requested inclusion in Walz’s $50 million Building and Cyber Security Grant Program. You’d think with that kind of cash, there’d be room for everyone’s safety. Apparently not.

The Conference didn’t mince words, stating, “The exclusion of one sector” of schools is discriminatory against students in need. And let’s be honest, denying protection to one group while funding another does smell of unfair bias.

While Walz prioritized other initiatives — like using taxpayer dollars for a “trans refuge” to support gender-affirming care in 2023 — nonpublic school students remain at risk. It’s a curious choice to fund progressive policies while sidestepping basic security for thousands of kids.

Discrimination or faulty priorities?

Public schools get the grants, but nonpublic ones are left to fend for themselves, despite serving many families in desperate need of resources. If safety isn’t a universal right, what is?

The Minnesota Catholic Conference has been clear: since 2020, they’ve advocated for a seat at the safety table, only to be ignored. Turns out, a surplus doesn’t guarantee fairness — or common sense — in budget decisions.

Perhaps it’s worth asking why a state swimming in surplus funds can’t find a way to protect all its students equally. After all, when it comes to children’s lives, shouldn’t the line between public and nonpublic blur just a little?