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Private‑school leaders warn elimination of nonpublic pupil aid and transportation would harm low‑income families
Summary
During the Feb. 11 House Education Finance Committee hearing, multiple nonpublic and faith‑based school leaders and association representatives urged lawmakers not to cut nonpublic pupil aid or transportation, saying the change would reduce access for low‑income families and could increase state costs if students return to public schools.
Dozens of nonpublic school leaders and advocacy groups told the House Education Finance Committee on Feb. 11 that eliminating nonpublic pupil aid and nonpublic transportation — as proposed in the governor’s 2025 education budget — would hurt low‑income families and reduce educational access.
Meg Forgette, associate director for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’s Office for Catholic Education, told the committee the archdiocese’s 49 schools serve more than 30,000 students and that the average per‑pupil cost in those schools is $8,532 compared with more than $18,000 per pupil in Minnesota public schools. “Why then would it make any sense to cut the nonpublic per pupil aid program as well as nonpublic transportation from the state's budget,” Forgette said, calling the proposed eliminations “discriminatory against nonpublic students.”
Tricia Manshuber, principal of St. John Paul II Catholic School in Northeast Minneapolis, described how state‑funded guidance counseling and a shared nurse support students in her building and said those services are essential for scholar safety and college readiness.
Other witnesses included leaders from Ascension Catholic Academy, Notre Dame Academy, the Minnesota Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) and statewide advocacy groups representing nonpublic schools. Quentin Moore of Ascension said the cuts would have “far‑reaching consequences” for families and the broader educational ecosystem in North Minneapolis, where many families rely on nonpublic schools for stable, wrap‑around services. Tim Benz, president of Independent Schools of Minnesota, noted that nonpublic schools statewide educate roughly 73,000 students and that those students save the state money compared with public per‑pupil spending.
Department estimate and context MDE presented fiscal estimates that eliminating nonpublic pupil aid would reduce general‑fund spending by about $52.5 million in the first biennium and about $56.4 million in the second; eliminating nonpublic pupil transportation aid would reduce spending by roughly $56.2 million and $58.4 million in the two biennia, respectively. MDE staff said the transportation formula is a per‑pupil calculation using second‑prior‑year expenditures and did not fold in other sparsity or mileage‑based aids in that simple calculation.
Statutory context Multiple witnesses cited long‑standing state commitments to support students across sectors. Dan Beckering, head of school and speaking for the Association of Christian Schools International, quoted Minnesota statute 123B.40, which he said was intended to “assure all Minnesota pupils and their parents freedom of choice in education.” Witnesses urged the committee to preserve the funding streams as a matter of equity and choice.
What the committee did The committee heard testimony but took no votes. Members asked for follow‑up information from MDE on the underlying calculations and how changes would interact with other transportation sparsity aids and special‑education costs.
