School Mental Health Battle
Fifteen States Sue Trump Administration to Protect School Mental Health Funding
Key Points
The program’s impact metrics in its early years include nearly 775,000 students served nationwide and a reported 50% reduction in suicide risk at high-need schools, along with decreases in absenteeism and behavioral issues.
State officials argue that terminating the grants would impose substantial costs on governments, with Washington reporting more than $20 million in potential losses, and Rhode Island citing about $3 million in state-level impact.
The litigation rests on a December 2025 court order and an ongoing injunction in a separate lawsuit protecting the funding; opponents say ending the grants would exceed the court’s order and conflict with congressional intent.
The funding has a documented bipartisan provenance: after Parkland, a 2018 appropriation of $10 million via the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program, and in 2022 a bipartisan $1 billion allocation to place about 14,000 mental health professionals in schools; Republicans such as Cornyn, Collins and Tillis supported the program.
A coalition of 15 state attorneys general sued the Trump administration this week to block the planned cancellation of $1 billion in school-based mental health grants, according to Maine Morning Star. The grants have served nearly 775,000 students across the country since the program launched in 2022 and 2023.
The administration plans to end the grants by July. States say that move would violate a December 2025 court order and go against what Congress intended when it approved the funding, The MoCo Show reported.
Program Born After Parkland and Uvalde Shootings
Congress first funded school mental health services in 2018, one year after the Parkland school shooting. That initial appropriation was $10 million. After the Uvalde shooting in 2022, Congress passed a bipartisan $1 billion package to place about 14,000 mental health professionals in schools, Maine Morning Star reported.
The program had broad Republican support. Senators John Cornyn, Susan Collins, and Thom Tillis all backed the funding. States say this bipartisan history makes canceling the grants especially hard to justify, according to Maine Morning Star.
Grants Linked to Drops in Suicide Risk and Absences
The program's early results were striking. Schools receiving grants reported a 50% drop in suicide risk among high-need students, according to KPUG 1170. Absenteeism and behavioral issues also fell at participating schools.
Nearly 775,000 elementary and secondary students received services through the program, My Bellingham Now reported. State attorneys general argue those results prove the grants work — and that cutting them now would cause real harm to vulnerable kids.
States Count the Cost of a July Cutoff
Washington state says it stands to lose more than $20 million if the grants are cut. Rhode Island puts its loss at about $3 million. Both states joined the multistate lawsuit led by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, KPUG 1170 reported.
Wisconsin also joined the suit, WBAY reported. State officials warn that rural districts and low-income communities would be hit hardest. Many of those districts rely on federal dollars because they cannot afford to hire mental health staff on their own.
Lawsuit Argues Court Order Protects the Funding
The legal case centers on a December 2025 court order. States say that order — tied to a separate, ongoing lawsuit — protects the grants from being cut. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha said ending the grants would "exceed the court's order" and defy what Congress approved, according to Maine Morning Star.
The states are asking a federal court to block the July termination while the case moves forward. Fourteen attorneys general joined the filing alongside Washington's AG Nick Brown, The MoCo Show reported. Together, they argue the administration cannot simply undo what Congress funded and courts have protected.
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