Students Can’t Learn Without Mental Health Care
The Trump administration is cutting almost $168 million in federal school-based mental health grants, framed as a failure to meet the administration’s “priorities and policy preferences.” This decison will strip more than $12 million from rural Northern California districts like Eureka, Northern Humboldt, and Del Norte, where youth already face high suicide rates and long waits for care. Thousands of students will lose vital crisis, therapy and prevention services with less social-worker positions and more mental-health programs being cut. Despite a multistate lawsuit challenging the cancellations, districts fear services will vanish before funds are restored, leaving rural students without critical mental health support.
When students’ mental health needs are neglected, their learning suffers, and so does their chance at a brighter future. These cuts highlight how vulnerable our schools are to political attacks from the administration—but they don’t have to be. By reforming Proposition 13 and creating a permanent, reliable source of revenue for California’s public schools, we can ensure that students have access to the mental support they need, regardless of who is in office!
Alison Yin/EdSource
By Vani Sanganeria | EdSource | September 24, 2025
