Gov. Tim Walz’s new supplemental budget would end longstanding nonpublic pupil aid and transportation aid if Minnesota opts into a federal tax-credit scholarship program that would cost the state nothing. The money currently supporting nonpublic students would then be redirected to the state’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program.
The governor’s proposal looks simple on paper. If Minnesota opts into what he calls a federal “voucher” program, cut nonpublic pupil aid and shift those dollars to VPK under the claim of “budget neutrality.” In reality, this is a forced tradeoff.
Redirecting these funds into VPK underscores the political games at play. Pitting early childhood education against K-12 support for nonpublic students is a false choice. Minnesota can, and already does, support both. Instead, the governor has chosen a zero-sum approach, treating certain students’ needs as expendable.
The labeling of the federal program as a “voucher” is also misleading. Tax-credit scholarship programs are not vouchers — they rely on private donations that earn tax credits, not direct government payments. Courts across the country have repeatedly recognized this distinction. Vouchers can also only be used toward nonpublic school tuition. This federal tax-credit scholarship can be used by students in all school settings and toward a variety of education services. By mislabeling the program as a “voucher,” Gov. Walz hides the tradeoff at the heart of his proposal.
Nonpublic pupil aid and transportation aid exist because the state supports “promot[ing] equal educational opportunity for every student in Minnesota,” no matter where they go to school. Eliminating aid for essential services such as testing, textbooks, counseling, and nursing, which makes up less than half a percent of the state’s education budget, undermines that principle.
Minnesota could opt into the federal tax-credit scholarship program without cutting existing support. Because participating in the program would cost the state nothing, there is no fiscal reason to eliminate the nonpublic aid.
The governor’s proposal is cynical and penalizes participation in the federal tax-credit scholarship program, risking harm to both nonpublic and public school students. Minnesotans deserve better than this political sleight of hand.
