Senate amendment boosts K‑12 secondary factor and adds suicide-prevention funds; wellness-room funding left intact

Members pressed presenters for detail on K‑12 funding and school behavioral-health spending after Senate Finance amended HB2.

Chair and presenters said Senate Finance moved to “fully fund the secondary factors,” with one presenter describing that change as “almost a 8% growth for public school support,” while the overall recurring increase to the budget was described as 6%.

On student mental health, members asked whether new suicide-prevention dollars would expand school wellness rooms. Presenters clarified that the $1,000,000 wellness-room appropriation remains unchanged, and that a separate $5,000,000 appropriation in the Senate package is for broader suicide-prevention activities rather than specifically for wellness rooms. “Wellness rooms remains intact at a million. And then there was an a separate appropriation for 5,000,000 for suicide prevention broadly, but not specific to wellness rooms,” a presenter said.

Members also were told that the Department of Health (DOH) had a separate $9,000,000 appropriation for expanded suicide-prevention and youth behavioral-health work that targets youth outside of schools as well as within them. Presenters said local school districts will determine whether suicide-prevention money is spent on wellness rooms, counselors, or other behavioral-health services.

Committee members were directed to the packet and to the Senate Finance spreadsheets for line-by-line language and to determine how funds are categorized in the back-of-the-bill materials. No formal action was taken during the informational briefing.

Ending: Presenters said districts will decide local allocation of behavioral-health funding and recommended members use the published materials to follow precise line-item changes.