Trump administration cuts $1 billion in school mental health grants, citing conflict of priorities
A gun violence bill signed by Joe Biden in 2022 sent $1 billion to the grant programs to help schools hire more psychologists, counselors and other mental health workers.
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 The Trump administration is moving to cancel $1 billion in school mental health grants, saying they reflect the priorities of the previous administration.
Grant recipients were notified Tuesday that the funding will not be continued after this year. A signed by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022 sent $1 billion to the grant programs to help schools hire more psychologists, counselors and other mental health workers.
A new notice said an review of the programs found they violated the purpose of civil rights law, conflicted with the department鈥檚 policy of prioritizing merit and fairness, and amounted to an inappropriate use of federal money.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
The cuts were made public in a social media post from conservative strategist Christopher Rufo, who claimed the money was used to advance 鈥渓eft-wing racialism and discrimination.鈥 He posted excerpts from several grant documents setting goals to hire certain numbers of nonwhite counselors or pursue other diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
鈥淣o more slush fund for activists under the guise of mental health,鈥 Rufo wrote.
The Education Department confirmed the cuts. In an update to members of Congress that was obtained by The Associated Press, department officials said the Republican administration will find other ways to support .
鈥淭he Department plans to re-envision and re-compete its mental health program funds to more effectively support students鈥 behavioral health needs,鈥 according to the notice.
President Donald Trump’s administration has cut billions of dollars in federal grants deemed to be related to DEI and has threatened to cut billions more from schools and colleges over diversity practices. The administration says any policy that treats people differently because of their race amounts to discrimination, and it argues that DEI has often been used to discriminate against white and Asian American students.
___
The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s for working with philanthropies, a of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
