Report: MN Gov. Tim Walz rejected security funding for Catholic schools amid surplus

Imagine a state swimming in a $17.6 billion surplus, yet unable to spare a dime for the safety of thousands of schoolchildren just because they attend faith-based institutions.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) has come under fire for repeatedly denying Catholic schools access to security grants aimed at preventing school shootings, despite the state’s massive budget surplus in 2023 and ongoing appeals from the Minnesota Catholic Conference representing 72,000 students in nonpublic schools across the state, as Breitbart reports.

Since 2020, nonpublic schools—encompassing Independent, Catholic, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim institutions — have been pushing to be included in the Safe Schools Program, which funds emergency training, security enhancements, mental health support, and other critical resources.

Nonpublic schools excluded

Despite their persistent advocacy, these schools remain shut out from the program, which is currently a levy-only initiative for public school districts, excluding charter schools and intermediate districts as well.

In 2022, a bipartisan effort in the Minnesota House, backed by members of the Democrat-Farmer-Labor Party, proposed expanding Safe Schools funding to nonpublic schools with a modest $44 per student for security needs.

That bill stalled, and despite urgings from Minnesota’s bishops for a special session to pass the measure, Walz declined to act, leaving these schools vulnerable.

Repeated denials despite warnings

Fast forward to 2023, and the Minnesota Catholic Conference made another plea, this time asking to be included in Walz’s $50 million Building and Cyber Security Grant Program, citing the tragic mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, as a grim reminder of the risks.

“Our schools are under attack,” the Conference wrote in a letter to Walz, pointing to the Nashville incident as evidence of the urgent need for protection.

Yet, even with a $17.6 billion surplus in the bank, Walz turned a blind eye to their request, while public schools reportedly received similar security funding without issue.

Discrimination claims trump school safety

“The exclusion of one sector of schools… is a discriminatory act against our students,” the Conference argued in their 2023 letter, highlighting the unfair treatment of nonpublic institutions serving many families in need.

Let’s be clear: denying safety resources to 72,000 students based on where they learn isn’t just shortsighted — it’s a glaring double standard that prioritizes politics over protection.

While Walz found taxpayer funds in 2023 to establish a “trans refuge” for those seeking gender-affirming care, he couldn’t find a fraction of that surplus to shield kids from potential violence in their classrooms.

Local tragedy underscores urgent need

Adding to the urgency, a devastating shooting rampage at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis — carried out by a suspect identified as transgender — left two dead and 14 wounded, a heartbreaking illustration of the stakes at hand.

One might think such a tragedy on home soil would spur action, but the governor’s stance remains unmoved, leaving faith-based schools to fend for themselves in a world of rising threats.

It’s hard to fathom how a state flush with cash can justify turning its back on the basic safety of children, especially when the need has been so tragically demonstrated time and again.