A Warning Ignored: Minnesota’s Letter of Urgency and the Tragedy That Followed

A chilling letter sent two years ago to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz resurfaced this week in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting, highlighting stark warnings that went unheeded. The letter, penned by leaders of nonpublic school advocacy groups, declared that Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and other independent schools in the state were “under attack” and in immediate need of security investment.

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The 2023 Plea for Protection

On April 14, 2023, Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, and Tim Benz, president of MINNDEPENDENT (a private school advocacy group), addressed the governor in urgent terms. They implored that nonpublic schools be included in state safety programs, citing recent national school shootings as evidence that their communities faced elevated risks.

At the time, they specifically referenced a shooting at Covenant Christian School in Tennessee—only a week prior—saying it confirmed what many already feared: “our schools are under attack.” The letter warned that Minnesota’s nonpublic schools had experienced increased threats and were unfairly excluded from key state safety funds.

One major point of contention was the exclusion of private and religious schools from the state’s Building and Cyber Security Grant Program and the Safe Schools Program, both of which provide emergency response training, security upgrades, mental health support, and more. Because those programs tie funding eligibility to public school districts and charter entities, independent schools were left out entirely.

Adkins and Benz asked that $50 million be added to the Education Finance bill and that nonpublic schools be permitted to apply for the safety funding. They pressed that ensuring the security of all students—regardless of their school’s public or private status—is not just fair, but essential.

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Tragedy Strikes a Catholic School

In a heartbreaking twist, two years later, a gunman entered a Minneapolis Catholic school during Mass, opening fire. Two individuals were killed and seventeen others wounded. What once seemed like a theoretical risk became a painful reality.

The attack amplified the urgency of the 2023 letter. Critics now say Minnesota leaders ignored warnings that were too close to prophetic.

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The Political and Policy Backdrop

The debate over school safety in Minnesota has long been contentious. While local public and charter schools could apply for safety funds, independent institutions remained largely excluded by design.

Supporters of the exclusion argue that public schools are accountable to taxpayers and subject to oversight in ways private institutions are not. But opponents maintain the core issue is fairness and the undeniable fact that threats do not discriminate by school governance.

Back in June 2022, Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul–Minneapolis urged Governor Walz to convene a special legislative session to secure funding for all schools—not just public ones—for mental health, violence prevention, and security. That plea came ahead of the 2023 letter yet was not acted on in any meaningful way.

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Governor Walz Responds

Walz’s office has defended its record and disputed the portrayal of total exclusion. According to a spokesperson, private schools already “receive state funding” and have access to resources such as training from state safety centers.

The office emphasized that the governor cares deeply about student safety, noting he has signed legislation allocating millions toward school security. But those defense statements have done little to ease the frustration of nonpublic school leaders who watched warnings go unheeded.

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A Reckoning for Policymakers

This episode underscores a troubling dynamic: nonpublic schools often face threats similar to public institutions but lack equivalent access to state-backed protections. When warnings like the 2023 letter go unanswered, and tragedy later exposes the very risks feared, the questions are glaring:

• How many warnings must be ignored before action is taken?

• Do schools without public oversight deserve equal protection rights?

• Should safety eligibility be decoupled from whether a school is public or private?

• And in a broader sense: who bears responsibility when forewarnings fall on deaf ears?

The Minnesota incident is emblematic of a broader national issue. Around the country, faith-based and independent schools have long called for parity in safety funding. Some states have responded with grant expansions or categorical allowances; others maintain division between public and nonpublic systems.

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Conclusion

The 2023 letter was not a casual request—it was a loud alarm. And when that alarm was ignored, students paid with their lives. Now Minnesota must grapple with not just rebuilding a school community, but repairing the trust between policymakers and those tasked with protecting children in all classrooms. As legislators and officials weigh reforms, the haunting question lingers: how many more warnings will it take before they truly act?