Department warns school‑based mental health grants are expiring; SafeVoice tips rising and contract costs debated

Deputy Superintendent Megan Peterson and Deputy Superintendent Christy McGill briefed the joint subcommittee on the Office of Safe and Respectful Learning, describing grant expirations that will remove staff and warning of program impacts while also proposing continued funding for the SafeVoice reporting platform and multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS) implementation.

"These positions are removed from the budget due to expiration of, or ending of two grants," Megan Peterson said when describing the recommended removals of two education‑program‑professional positions funded by the School‑Based Mental Health grant and the Now Is the Time/Project AWARE grant. Deputy Superintendent Christy McGill told lawmakers the elimination would curtail an established Project AWARE program: "The Project AWARE program as we know it right now, will cease to exist."

Why it matters: school districts have relied on discretionary federal grants for mental‑health staffing and training; the department’s presentation said some grant dollars have ended and attempts to identify alternative, ongoing funding have so far been unsuccessful. At the same time, the department reported rising SafeVoice tips — the anonymous statewide reporting platform used to alert schools and law enforcement to safety concerns.

Key points from the hearing

- Grant expirations and staffing: The department recommended removing two positions tied to the School‑Based Mental Health grant and the Now Is The Time / Project AWARE grant as federal funds end. Department leaders said they had sought other funding but had not identified stable alternatives. McGill said the broader Project AWARE program would end if the position cannot be continued.

- SafeVoice volume and categories: Christy McGill summarized tip trends, saying the program has seen steady year‑over‑year increases. She listed top tip categories in 2024 and provided counts during the hearing: threat to student (1,226), Handle With Care tips (995), suicide threats (841), and bullying (769). McGill said school‑to‑employee complaints are also a top category.

- Contracted services and platform funding: The department proposed incorporating SafeVoice licensing into the base budget (it had been grant‑funded). Officials also proposed a $3,000,000 per‑year contract to support MTSS implementation statewide and a custom Infinite Campus report to show disproportionate discipline data.

- Evaluation and training: McGill said one DOJ grant pilot funded threat‑assessment training and a case‑management pilot; training worked well but the case‑management pilot did not. She said the department is shifting contract emphasis toward threat‑assessment training and MTSS supports.

Questions from lawmakers and department responses

Lawmakers asked for substantiation rates and for metrics showing how many tips were actionable. McGill said the department conducted a point‑in‑time evaluation of SafeVoice and offered to provide that evaluation to the committee. On funds, McGill said SafeVoice licensing costs vary by contract term and said the department is accounting for per‑tip plugin fees and a 15‑month contract period that affects FY25 invoice timing.

Operational impacts

McGill and Peterson said districts have used federal grants to provide direct mental‑health services and warned that service levels will decrease if grants lapse. McGill said the state has supported district services through discretionary grants historically and that, absent new funding, district mental‑health capacity is likely to shrink.

Ending note

Committee members requested the SafeVoice evaluation and more detail on contract costs and grant transition plans. Department leaders said they will supply the evaluation and financial breakdowns to the subcommittee.