A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Department of Education acted unlawfully when it abruptly ended grants aimed at funding additional mental health professionals in K-12 schools, according to an announcement from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed in July by Raoul and 16 other state attorneys general. The coalition argued that the department violated the Administrative Procedure Act when it informed grant recipients in April that their funding would be discontinued due to new priorities set by the Trump administration. As part of the court’s decision, both parties are required to meet and establish a timeline for making lawful decisions regarding continuation of the grants.
“I applaud this ruling that ensures mental health professionals stay in schools in Illinois and across the country. These services not only support our students, but they keep our schools and communities safe,” Raoul said. “I will continue to stand beside my colleagues to oppose illegal actions that directly impact our communities.”
In response to the 2023 mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which resulted in 21 deaths, Congress allocated $1 billion with bipartisan support to bring 14,000 mental health professionals into high-need schools nationwide. According to data from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), nearly 775,000 students were served and about 1,300 school mental health professionals were hired during the first year of funding. NASP also reported improvements such as a reduction in suicide risk by half at high-need schools, lower absenteeism and behavioral issues, and better student-staff engagement.
The Department of Education’s attempt to end these grants affected essential services provided by school-based mental health professionals for many students across Illinois. One program alone has delivered additional mental health support for more than 50,000 Illinois students since its inception.
Other states joining Illinois in filing the lawsuit include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.
