Chicago – May 01, 2025
The Trump administration has decided to stop giving out $1 billion in federal grants that were used by school districts across the country to hire mental health professionals, like counselors and social workers.
The U.S. Department of Education has told the affected schools that the Biden administration did not follow the rules of Federal civil rights law when it gave out the grants. These grants were part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, a law passed after the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two adults were killed, and many others were hurt. The law was designed to help address growing concerns about student mental health, including providing more support in schools.
The law, and the funding that came with it, had strong support from both Republicans and Democrats, even after it was passed. The goal was to bring 14,000 mental health professionals into schools, according to Mary Wall, who worked on K-12 policy and budgeting in the U.S. Department of Education during the Biden administration.
So far, about 260 school districts in nearly every state received part of the $1 billion in five-year grants. These grants were meant to be paid out in installments. Now, these schools will have to find a way to continue their mental health programs without the money they were expecting.
A poll in August 2024 by the American Psychiatric Association showed that 84% of Americans believe school staff play a vital role in spotting mental health problems in students.
