ST PAUL, MN – As the community of Minneapolis continues to reel from the tragic shooting at Ascension Catholic School, Flag Family News has new information regarding safety in nonpublic schools in Minnesota.
According to a letter written to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan in 2023, by MINNDEPENDENT President Tim Benz and Minnesota Catholic Conference Executive Director Jason Adkins, they asked for the state leadership’s assistance with a budget recommendation of $50 million to establish the Building and Cyber Security Grant Program and include all schools as eligible for funding, a topic which was stalled during back-to-back legislative sessions – in 2022 and 2023.
“The exclusion of one sector of schools – as you know, nonpublic schools serve many students and families in need of services and resources – is a discriminatory act against our students,” the letter read.
Documentation obtained regarding the program states that ‘school districts, charters, intermediates, and cooperatives’ are eligible to apply for the grant – with no mention of nonpublic schools.
“We want to make sure Minnesota is doing everything it can to ensure that all our students are safe and secure,” the leaders wrote in their letter.
Flag Family News has reached out to Minnesota legislative leaders to learn whether or not they’ll push for funding to include nonpublic schools in upcoming legislative sessions. As of the time of this publication, no responses have been received.
