Money pays for what we need. What happens when you don’t have it? Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan presented their 2025 biennial budget for Minnesota, and it proposes significant cuts. That’s bad news for those who rely on money.

The budget proposal includes some good ideas, including with the first sales tax cut in Minnesota history, closing tax loopholes and progress toward a balanced budget, but are some of these cuts worth it? Among those that could suffer blows: Non-public schools (private and charter, for example), as Walz proposes terminating their state funding. While some budget cuts are needed, kids succeeding in school should be the priority.

Although many private schools are independent or run by an organization, and they pay for much of their own necessities, the Walz budget would eliminate nonpublic school aid for many items. Textbooks, instructional materials, standardized tests, health services, guidance, and counseling services are all examples of what the state provides. All of this plus other education cuts the Walz budget proposes would save the government $109 million. Home schools or private schools get this funding based on a request from their local school district.
For the past 55 years, the state has been funding Minnesota’s non-public schools, and plans for cutting or eliminating the funding aren’t just going to go away.

SPA might not need the state aid, but Minnesota has more than 73,000 students attending traditional private schools and over 29,000 homeschooled students. Statutes 123B.40–123B.48 ensure that all kids get an equal opportunity for learning. Students attending non-public schools would lose an estimated $1,080 each in support per year — $540 for transportation and $540 for necessary services, for example. This funding decrease would likely cause tuition increases and put private schools out of reach for some families.

The proposed elimination of this funding was unexpected, and many schools did not see it coming. Bussing is a primary form of transportation for many students, whether they go to public or private schools. Families that rely on bussing could be left to find a different transportation option. For the first time since 1969, bussing aid for private schools is being threatened with termination.
These cuts would be bad for the community and cause problems for schools and the families who attend them. Walz’s proposed budget plan is uncalled for and would hurt the non-public school education system. The next two years are a warmup for the 2027 budget, and non-public schools — including SPA — have to be ready for new plans and changes happening in Minnesota.