Austin Erickson’s interview with Hillcrest Lutheran Academy Head of School Jeff Isaac
Austin Erickson’s conversation with Park Christian President Chris Nellermoe
MINNESOTA – Leaders of Western Minnesota private schools say Governor Tim Walz’s proposal to cut taxpayer funding for non-public schools goes against Walz’s biggest philosophy and could cost the state more money.
Walz is looking to make cuts as the state is facing a projected $6 billion budget shortfall. Subsidies for private schools dating back to 1969 helps cover transportation costs. In the 1970s, the program expanded to include funding for textbooks, school nurses, and counselors. The funding costs taxpayers $109 million a year.
“If the intention of saying ‘One Minnesota’ means what everybody would think we’re unified and one, that would be incongruent with what this whole decision-making and policy… the direction it’s heading. If the intention is to say we’re going to have a one way and this is the way to go, that’s different,” Hillcrest Lutheran Academy Head of School Jeff Isaac said.
“I certainly respect parents’ decisions about their children’s education, but our first and fundamental responsibility is for public education. Here in Minnesota, we need to be focused on what our core job is and make sure we’re funding that accordingly,” Walz explained.
School leaders at Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls and Park Christian in Moorhead believe the cutting of transportation funding would be the hardest to take.
“Being in a small community, transportation is somewhat of an issue. That’s going to be something that we would have to overcome because we service a number of kids that live outside of town and the farm communities,” Isaac explained.
“Students who live on the Moorhead side of the river are transported by the Moorhead Public Schools system and that is a great resource to our families. Treating all the students in Minnesota under the same umbrella as taxpayers and part of this base, we really value that,” Park Christian President Chris Nellermoe said.
Nellermoe went to a rally at the Minnesota capitol this week asking for lawmakers to support funding private schools.
“The numbers that were shared say it costs taxpayers about $1,000 per non-public student annually as compared to $9,000 for public school students. If non-public school students aren’t able to attend their school of choice, that’s actually going to cost the state more money,” Nellermoe said.
Park Christian has used state subsidies to hire a part-time nurse. Both the Moorhead school and Hillcrest Lutheran have also used the money for textbooks. Nellermoe and Isaac say they don’t believe their schools will have to raise tuition if the funding is cut and say students will still have a quality education if the state rescinds the funding.
Nellermoe says he’s reached out to State Representatives Jim Joy of Hawley, a Republican, and Heather Keeler of Moorhead, a DFLer, and DFL State Senator Rob Kupec of Moorhead to share how important the funding is. Nellermoe says he believes funding non-private schools is not about faith.
“It’s not a religious aspect. It is the education of our students and I think that is the idea behind the funding that’s been in place for 50 years,” Nellermoe said.
