St. Paul - Governor Walz recently announced a $100,000 scholarship lottery for eligible students who get vaccinated against COVID-19. House Education leads Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, and Rep. Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, released the following statement:
“Governor Walz has created a scholarship lottery gimmick and inserted government into the conversations between parents and kids," said Kresha. "What he should be focused on is improving academic achievement and offering solutions for kids in failing schools. What students need is a successful education system for everyone, not a slim chance at a scholarship in return for a specific medical decision.”
Rep. Erickson added, "The Governor is forcing himself into decisions that should be made by parents, students, and their doctors. Coercing those decisions using the lure of a potentially life-changing scholarship is dishonest and irresponsible. Instead of trying to buy increased vaccination numbers, he should be working on improving education and helping students catch up from the learning lost during his mass school shutdowns of last year."
Minnesota currently has one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation, which was exacerbated by the Governor's school closures in 2020.
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