Concerns are high after the Department of Education started cutting about $1 billion in mental-health-related grants created in response to mass school shootings.
The department argued that schools that want to diversify their pool of psychologists are misusing the funds in question. Now, school psychology professionals are trying to find a way to move forward after being told their multiyear programs will expire at the end of the year if they do not decide to appeal.
Student Mental Health Grants Canceled
The two grants that are impacted by the funding cuts received an additional $1 billion after former President Joe Biden signed a sweeping bipartisan gun-control bill into law in 2022. That development came a month after the mass shooting that occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
The latest round of cuts began on Tuesday and are in line with one of President Donald Trump's executive orders. The order seeks to eliminate programs that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools across the United States, according to the Washington Post.
Last month, the Trump administration also canceled grants that funded gun violence prevention programs as well as crime-victim advocacy. Over the past decade, Republican lawmakers have sought to blame mass shootings on the mental health issues of the suspects and not on the prevalence of firearms across the country.
Emma Brown, the executive director of the gun control advocacy group Giffords, said that Trump claims America's gun violence crisis is a mental health issue and not a gun issue. She added that Republican officials have worked with Democratic authorities to allocate funds to save lives and stop school shootings.
While the grants were cut due to potential violations of federal civil rights law, the administration did not specify what law in particular was violated. Additionally, the administration did not provide the grant recipients with any evidence of the so-called violations, the New York Times reported.
Potential Civil Rights Law Violations
Later, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education confirmed that the grants were cut because of a particular focus on increasing the diversity of psychologists, counselors, and other mental health workers.
Superintendent Derek Fialkiewicz in Corbett, Oregon, said he was surprised to hear about the Trump administration putting an end to his federal support. The situation comes a week after a Department of Education employee gave the go-ahead to add a telehealth texting service for students.
The funding cuts also mean that many districts that received a portion of the $1 billion are forced to find a way to move forward without the money. Mary Wall, who was responsible for overseeing K-12 policy and budget for the U.S. Department of Education during the former administration, said preparations are now at risk, as per NPR.
