Minn. Catholic Leaders Previously Warned Tim Walz On School Safety: Letter
A letter from leaders of the Minnesota Catholic Conference highlighted the urgent need for security upgrades at Catholic and other nonpublic schools across the state, warning that their campuses were at risk of attacks. The letter, addressed to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, stressed that schools were facing real threats and required immediate attention to safeguard students.
The letter, sent on April 14, 2023, came from Tim Benz, president of MINNDEPENDENT, a private school advocacy group, and Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference. It noted the tragic mass shooting at Covenant Christian School in Nashville just a week prior, using the incident as a stark reminder that nonpublic schools nationwide were vulnerable. “The latest school shooting at a nonpublic Christian school in Tennessee sadly confirms what we already know – our schools are under attack,” the leaders wrote.
They pointed out that Minnesota’s Jewish and Muslim schools had experienced rising threats and emphasized that no such tragedy should ever occur in the state. The letter urged Governor Walz to ensure nonpublic schools were included in safety initiatives such as the $50 million Building and Cyber Security Grant Program and the state’s Safe Schools Program, which provide emergency response training, mental health services, and physical security upgrades.
Despite these warnings, nonpublic schools were excluded from these funding streams, leaving approximately 72,000 students enrolled in independent, Catholic, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim schools without access to critical safety resources. The letter stressed the importance of including all schools in security funding, highlighting the ongoing attacks nationwide and the potential risks for Minnesota students.
Two years later, the warnings became reality when a shooter opened fire at a Minneapolis Catholic school during Mass, killing two and injuring seventeen. The tragedy underscored the urgency of the concerns raised by Catholic officials years earlier and reignited debate over school security funding and inclusion.
The Minnesota Catholic Conference and MINNDEPENDENT had long advocated for comprehensive protection measures. Previous appeals included a 2022 video in which Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul-Minneapolis urged Governor Walz to call a special legislative session to provide permanent funding streams for mental health support, violence prevention, and security improvements across all schools, including nonpublic institutions.