District told federal fellowship funding will end; interns and fellows forecasted to lose roles supporting student mental health

Superintendent Brian Kingsley told the Poudre School District Board of Education that a federal grant awarded about two years ago to support internships and fellowships for school mental‑health services will be discontinued after this coming December. Kingsley said the grant—about $9,750,000—helped fund internships and fellowships that placed clinicians and social‑work trainees in schools; he said discontinuation would negatively affect up to 10 interns and 17 fellowships.

The funding announcement prompted multiple public comments from current interns and mental‑health staff who told the board the roles support students across schools. Maxfield Martinez, a mental‑health intern who said he was losing his position at Bowder Elementary, presented secondary‑analysis data from the district’s student‑connection surveys showing students who have experienced exclusionary discipline report lower feelings of safety, care and connection and are less likely to think they will graduate. Martinez urged greater transparency and creative responses to disproportionate use of exclusionary discipline.

Other speakers included mental‑health fellows who supplied hours and caseload numbers: Blake McLaughlin, a school social worker and fellowship representative, reported that eight fellows contributed 3,626 hours of direct student support and 271 hours of indirect support this year and, among eight contributors to district data, supported 615 distinct students. Dylan Khan, a mental‑health fellow at Weber Middle School, described group and individual work he provides—weekly sessions, a boys’ group, suicide‑risk screenings, and supports for students with complex needs—and said 14 of 17 fellows did not yet have jobs for next year pending grant decisions.

Superintendent Kingsley framed the grant loss as a significant challenge for the district’s strategy around mental‑health and belonging supports. He noted the district is committed to creative ways to continue services but acknowledged the financial fragility and potential need to identify new funding sources.

Why it matters: The district pointed to measurable student supports delivered by interns and fellows—including school‑based groups, crisis assessments and classroom interventions. Staff and interns told the board the loss of positions could reduce in‑school mental‑health access for students and complicate recruitment and training of future school clinicians.

What the board said: Members thanked interns and fellows for their work. No vote was taken on new funding at the meeting. Administration said it will continue to explore grant and local options to preserve services.

Sources: Superintendent remarks and multiple public comment speakers (Maxfield Martinez, Blake McLaughlin, Dylan Khan) who described hours served, caseloads and survey analyses.