Trump Halts $1 Bln in School Mental Health Grants

The Trump administration has suspended $1 billion in federal mental health funding for school students, citing concerns that the programs no longer align with government priorities, according to the New York Times.

The funding, established under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed in 2022, was intended to address gun violence in schools by improving mental health services for students.

The legislation was approved following the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where a former student killed 19 children and two teachers, and injured 17 others.

Despite the act’s bipartisan support and a long-standing political divide over gun reform, the Department of Education this week terminated several grant programs under the act.

Grant recipients were instructed to reapply, based on alleged potential violations of federal civil rights laws.

The department did not specify which civil rights laws were breached or provide evidence of any violations, as noted in internal communications obtained by the New York Times.

Education Department spokesperson Maddy Biderman defended the decision, stating that the suspended grants were being used in ways that may not have supported actual mental health outcomes. 

She emphasized that some programs had prioritized workforce diversity among school psychologists and counselors over direct student care.

Biderman said the Biden administration's priorities had led to misaligned spending. She asserted that taxpayer dollars must support evidence-based practices that directly enhance student mental health.