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In it, the leaders laid out their concerns clearly: “We are writing on behalf of our respective organizations regarding the urgent and critical need in Minnesota to make sure our schools are secure and safe considering the most recent, and continuing attacks, on our schools in this country and in our state.”
They pointed directly to the Covenant Christian School shooting in Nashville, which had just occurred one week prior: “The latest school shooting at a nonpublic Christian school in Tennessee sadly confirms what we already know – our schools are under attack.”
The letter also warned that Minnesota’s Jewish and Muslim schools had been receiving heightened threats, urging leaders to take them seriously: “In Minnesota, nonpublic schools, particularly our Jewish and Muslim schools, have experienced increased levels of threats, all of which we must take very seriously.”
Walz’s Exclusion of Private Schools
At the time, Walz’s administration excluded nonpublic schools from critical safety programs, including the $50 million Building and Cyber Security Grant Program and the state’s Safe Schools Program. Those initiatives fund mental health resources, training, and security upgrades—but only for public institutions.
The Catholic leaders didn’t mince words: “We need to ensure that all of schools have the resources to respond to and prevent these attacks from happening to our schools.”
They added: “An attack on any school, whether it is a public, nonpublic, charter or another school site, cannot be tolerated or allowed to happen in Minnesota. We want to make sure Minnesota is doing everything it can to ensure that all our students are safe and secure. We ask you include $50 million in the final Education Finance bill and allow nonpublic schools to apply for funding.”
Previous Warnings Ignored
This wasn’t the first time Walz heard these concerns. In 2022, Minnesota Catholic bishops pleaded with him to take action. Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul-Minneapolis even released a video urging Walz to call a special legislative session to secure permanent funding streams for all schools—including private and religious ones.
That plea was also ignored.
Instead, the state doubled down. According to a recent statement by the Minnesota Department of Education, the Building and Cyber Security Grant Program remains closed to nonpublic schools. Likewise, state law ties Safe Schools Program funding to local tax levies—something private schools do not benefit from.
Walz’s Response
Walz’s office insists that he supports school safety, telling Fox News that “private schools do indeed receive state funding” and that they are “eligible for school safety center resources, including trainings.”
His spokesperson added: “The governor cares deeply about the safety of students and has signed into law millions in funding for school safety.”
But for Catholic leaders—and now grieving families—those words ring hollow. Their repeated calls for equal protection were ignored, and Minnesota’s nonpublic schools were left exposed.
Now, with lives lost and dozens wounded, the question remains: if Walz had listened, could this tragedy have been prevented?
