(The Center Square) – Wisconsin K-12 education leader Jill Underly decried an end to a $10 million grant for school-based mental health services but a lawyer from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty says that’s because the grants were tied to diversity, equity and inclusion.
WILL’s Dan Lennington wrote that “these grants discriminated based on race. One grant recipient, for example, mandated a goal to hire ‘8 out of 24’ nonwhite counselors. The grants also tied mental health to ‘systemic racism.’”
Lennington pointed out that Biden Administration rules award 30 points to an application if the applicant has “quality personnel,” defined as “underrepresented persons.”
Underly, Wisconsin’s State Superintendent, said that grants awarded in 2024 were supposed to span five years and the termination of funding will hurt schools and students.
“At a time when communities are urgently asking for help serving mental health needs, this decision is indefensible,” Underly said in a statement. “These funds – which Wisconsin used to make meaningful change for our schools – were helping districts and our higher education partners develop new mental health professionals, providing a career opportunity for our current high schoolers. This action takes resources away from Wisconsin and disrupts the success efforts we’ve made to ensure qualified individuals are serving our kids.”
Underly’s office said it was notified Tuesday of the cuts, being told the program “no longer effectuates the best interest of the federal government.”
The grants were to fund additional mental health personnel at schools, including school counselors, psychologists and social workers.
Wisconsin is one of 22 states that received the grant.
