Lawmakers press Education Secretary on canceled and frozen school mental-health grants
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Summary
Ranking members said the department froze or canceled roughly $1 billion in school-based mental-health grants; Secretary McMahon said grants are being evaluated and that the department will “abide by the law,” but could not provide criteria used for cancellations during the hearing.
Members of the House Appropriations subcommittee told Education Secretary McMahon that the department has cut or frozen about $1 billion in school-based mental-health grants and researcher training programs that lawmakers and school districts say are already serving students.
Representative Rosa DeLauro said the grants — created with bipartisan support to increase the number of school psychologists, counselors and social workers — were canceled “on the eve of National Mental Health Awareness Month.” She and other members asked why the department removed funds and demanded documentation explaining the criteria used to stop awards.
McMahon said the department is “evaluating every single program” and that some funds are “continuing or not continuing” as that review proceeds. She acknowledged concerns about shortages of mental-health professionals and said local funding and decisions should guide services in communities. On the question of whether the department would obligate congressionally appropriated funds this fiscal year, McMahon told the subcommittee: “We are going to abide by the law.”
Why it matters: School-based mental-health grants provide training and positions aimed at reducing chronic absenteeism and increasing in-school supports for students. Lawmakers cited examples — including Guilford County, N.C., which used its grant to provide services to about 1,000 additional students — and warned that removing funds will reduce those services.
Details and debate: Lawmakers repeatedly asked McMahon to explain the rationale and provide the criteria used to cancel or freeze grants; she said the department had seen instances where money was “not being used really for health care programs,” but did not provide a public methodology or program-by-program list during the hearing. Members asked for a commitment to obligate funds appropriated in prior bills by Sept. 30; McMahon replied she would “abide by the law” and said she would get back to the committee with more information.
Next steps: Members requested written documentation explaining which grants were suspended or canceled, the criteria used for those actions, and confirmation that congressionally appropriated funds for active grants will be spent this fiscal year.
