Sen. King asks education secretary for answers about mental health grant cuts
Maine Senators Push for Full Return of School‑Based Mental‑Health Funds
Portland, Maine — In a coordinated effort that brings together 13 members of the Senate’s bipartisan coalition, Senator Angus King (I‑Maine) and colleagues have written to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon demanding the Department of Education restore funding for school‑based mental‑health programs that the agency abruptly halted in 2025. The senators argue that the cuts not only violate the agency’s statutory obligations but also jeopardize the mental‑wellness services that students rely on across the country.
The Origin of the Grants
The funding in question stems from a $1 billion appropriation enacted in 2023 in response to the tragic mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The law set aside money to deploy 14,000 mental‑health professionals—counselors, psychologists, and social workers—directly in schools nationwide. The initiative was intended to help students recover from trauma, reduce dropout rates, and foster healthier school communities.
The 2025 Shutdown
In April 2025, the Department of Education notified states that the program conflicted with priorities set under the previous administration and that the grants would be canceled. The decision forced many schools to pause hiring, lay off existing counseling staff, and cut scholarship programs for graduate mental‑health students who had relied on the funding to support their education. By the time the Department rolled the decision out, Maine had already received more than $3 million from the grant pool.
Legal Challenge and Court Rulings
Two months after the shutdown, Attorney General Aaron Frey and 15 other state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Department, challenging the abrupt termination of the grants. The federal courts ultimately issued orders in favor of the states, ruling that the Department’s actions were inconsistent with its statutory responsibilities. In response, the Department resumed portions of the grant program in June 2025 but imposed new reporting requirements before releasing the remaining funds for the second half of the fiscal year. Senators argue that these additional hoops create administrative uncertainty for schools already strained by budget cuts.
The Senators’ Letter
Drafted in late August, the letter to Secretary McMahon was signed by Senator King and a dozen other members of the Senate’s progressive bloc. In it, the senators demanded that the Department fully distribute the remaining grant funds and provide answers to several questions: How many grantees have received funding since June? How is the Department evaluating its compliance with the court orders? The letter also notes that “indications are the administration plans to permanently discontinue these grants,” a move the senators say would “raise serious concerns regarding compliance” with the judiciary’s directives.
“These interruptions in student services disrupt the continuity of care,” the letter reads. “The Department’s actions will also slow the recruitment of new mental health professionals, disincentivizing prospective counselors and therapists from serving in our nation’s schools.”
Current Status
The Department of Education has not yet responded to a request for comment. Meanwhile, the legal and policy battle over school‑based mental‑health funding continues to loom over lawmakers and educators alike. As schools grapple with staffing shortages and the ongoing impacts of the 2022 shooting, the stakes for timely and reliable funding have never been higher.
For Maine’s students—and for those across the United States—the outcome of this dispute will shape the accessibility of mental‑health services in schools for years to come.
