WEA Member Benefits Foundation presents $25,000 grant to Random Lake for school mental‑health programming

Steve Goldberg, executive director of the WEA Member Benefits Foundation, told the Random Lake School District Board on June 22 that his group is giving the district a three‑year, unrestricted grant totaling $25,000 to support school‑based mental‑health programming.

Goldberg said the foundation is leading a statewide initiative that now supports 28 school districts and serves about 155,000 K–12 students — roughly 20% of Wisconsin’s 785,000 public school population. “We are leading a statewide initiative to fund school district mental health programs throughout the state,” Goldberg said, adding that the program has operated about five years and that Random Lake was selected for its “well‑deserved reputation” for a comprehensive approach to student and educator mental health.

The foundation emphasized outcomes administrators at the meeting tied to the district’s approach: reductions in chronic absenteeism, fewer behavioral referrals and shorter waits for care compared with community pediatric psychiatry. Goldberg noted long specialist wait times statewide — “the average wait for a pediatric psychiatrist appointment is anywhere from 6 to 18 months” — and said school‑based programs help bridge that gap.

Board members and staff posed for a photo with Goldberg after the presentation and thanked him for the donation. Administrators said the unrestricted nature of the grant gives the district flexibility to apply the funds where local needs are greatest.

The gift was presented as a notification and celebration; no formal vote was required on acceptance during the meeting. The district posted the presentation materials and photos on its website and social channels following the meeting.