Cuts to school mental health grants could trickle down to local districts
The Trump administration's cancellation of mental health program grants could significantly affect suburban schools.
The U.S. Department of Education notified the Illinois State Board of Education late last month it is halting funding for two grant programs established under the Biden administration.
Murray Bessette of the U.S. Department of Education’s office of planning, evaluation and policy development stated the grants violate federal civil rights law and conflict with the department's commitment to “merit, fairness and excellence in education.”
One of the grants, the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program, provided ISBE initially with $2.97 million in fiscal year 2022 to increase the number of credentialed mental health service providers for students, according to the U.S. Department of Education. That was extended to the end of 2025 and the total obligations were increased to $6.2 million, according to HigherGov.
The other, the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant program, allocated $1.2 million in fiscal year 2023 to support partnerships with higher-learning institutions for training school-based mental health providers, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
“We are reviewing the letters and evaluating next steps,” ISBE spokeswoman Lindsay Record said.
Some districts already have felt the impact from withdrawn federal funding. Crystal Lake Elementary School District 47 learned April 29 its $5.6 million Project LAKE grant, which supported students' emotional well-being through staff positions and free teletherapy services, will end in January.
This decision came as the Trump administration decided to stop funding $1 billion in grants from the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, passed after the Uvalde school shooting. These grants included the Stronger Connections Grant, which had mental health components.
The Stronger Connections Grant made available up to $40 million to local education agencies providing free and reduced-price lunches to at least 40% of its student population.
According to an ISBE list, around 600 Illinois schools were eligible to receive the Stronger Connections Grant.
Wheeling Township Elementary District 21 received approximately $350,000 over two years through the program. The district used these funds to address chronic absenteeism and expand its family learning program by employing attendance liaisons who work directly with families of chronically absent students.
“Anytime there are additional funds that school districts can leverage to increase wraparound services for our families, those are positively impactful,” District 21 Superintendent Michael Connolly said. “A kid comes to school and whatever their particular experience is following them, they don't leave that at the door.”
District 21's funding appears secure for now as the funds were already committed through prior budgets and flow through the state.
Grant Community High School District 124 in Ingleside received $221,635 under the Stronger Connections Grant Program, but it remains uncertain if these funds have been discontinued. The district's program provides mental health services through Illinois-licensed clinicians offering both in-person and telehealth options. Families also receive access to a Care Navigation team to connect with appropriate services.
As of last month, District 124 facilitated 84 treatment sessions, with each student or family receiving up to six free, 50-minute sessions including counseling, crisis intervention and medication management.
Illinois Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders in March received an informal communication from a career employee indicating that the entire State and Grantee Relations office has been reduced.
“This office provides guidance and support that helps Illinois and other states receive federal funding. The employee said there was no guidance on how to ensure the state continues receiving payments for programs,” he said in a statement. “This is the extent of the information ISBE has available at the moment, and it is deeply concerned about the potential implications.”
On March 28, the Trump administration revoked approval for $77.25 million in federal pandemic relief funds intended for Illinois' highest-need students, reversing a previous decision that gave districts extra time to spend the funds.
Sanders called this “a devastating blow to the students and schools that were relying on these approved funds to provide critical services.”
However, Illinois received temporary relief when U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos issued a preliminary injunction allowing states additional time to spend their allocated funds.
Overall, Illinois was expected to receive around $3.56 billion in federal funding in fiscal year 2025, according to state records.