Overview

• A publicly posted April 14, 2023 letter from the Minnesota Catholic Conference and MINNDEPENDENT urged Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to include nonpublic schools in a proposed $50 million security grant program, a request the conference says was never granted.
• Current state policy and statute restrict the Building and Cyber Security Grant Program and the Safe Schools Program to districts, cooperatives, and charters, and USA TODAY notes the 2023 proposal was not enacted, meaning public schools did not receive that specific funding either.
• The FBI said writings tied to the suspect show the Annunciation Catholic Church attack was domestic terrorism driven by a hate-filled, anti-religious ideology; two children were killed and multiple others were injured.
• The governor’s office says private schools receive some state funding and can access school safety center trainings, emphasizing that Walz has signed millions in school safety funding into law.
• Lawmakers are debating the SHIELD school-safety bill to boost state security funding, and reporting indicates that as drafted it would not extend the additional aid to nonpublic schools.