OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze funding for mental health support in public schools.
State Attorney General Nick Brown led a coalition of 16 states in suing the U.S. Department of Education over the cuts in June.
Congress had approved funding to bring thousands of extra mental health professionals to K-12 schools following the 2022 mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, TX.
“We’re facing a youth mental health crisis. Making sure our kids have proper support should never be subject to political whim,” Brown said. “This is why we stand firm against this administration’s utter disregard for the law.”
The program had shown promising results, including drops in suicide risk and absenteeism among students at low-income and rural schools.
But in April, the department sent out notices to schools cancelling future funding, claiming that the grants conflicted with the Trump administration’s priorities.
A Seattle judge has now deemed those cuts illegal and has ordered the two sides to agree on a timeline to resume the grant funding.
According to the AG’s Office, the grants support mental health services for over 90 school districts in northwest Washington.
