MinnPost: Minnesota’s non-public schools have received state aid for decades, but a cloudy budget picture could put an end to that
Minnesota’s non-public schools have received state aid for decades, but a cloudy budget picture could put an end to that
Aid for private school transportation, textbooks, curriculum, nurses and counselors would go away under Gov. Tim Walz’s $109 million proposed budget cut.
For 55 years, the state of Minnesota has distributed money to help students who attend non-public schools, payments for transportation, textbooks, curriculum, school nursing and counseling.
What one private school principal called “a long-standing tradition” has been upheld as constitutional by the state Supreme Court as not violating prohibitions on giving state money for a private purpose, supporting sectarian schools and the ban on state establishment of religion.
But perhaps for the first time since transportation help was adopted in 1969 and other student aids were passed in 1975, it is being threatened with cancellation. Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed budget for the two-year period starting July 1 would zero out $109 million in non-public school aid — about 0.4% of the state’s education budget. It is part of a budget that reduces spending for this upcoming budget, which is projected to have a surplus to prepare for a budget beginning in 2027 that faces a $5.1 billion projected shortfall.
“We were completely blindsided,” said Tim Benz, the president of MINNDEPENDENT, an association of more than 180 non-public schools in the state. “We had no idea that this was in the works.” Benz said that he has spoken with private school officials with longer experience on the issue and none could recall an attempt to repeal the program, though it did face cuts during budget deficits.
