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LA MESA, Calif. — The La Mesa-Spring Valley School District received a letter from the United States Department of Education stating that their federal award will not continue in its entirety, effective at the end of their current grant budget period.
“It’s sort of our worst nightmare. You know we’ve heard of programs being cut at the federal level with the new administration, but honestly did not think this was something that was vulnerable at all,” La Mesa-Spring Valley School District Superintendent David Feliciano said.
The district received the Federal School-Based Mental Health Grant in 2023 to provide vital mental health services for students, which include counseling, early intervention, preventative behavior support and support for mental health crises. The grant was originally set to last through December 2027 and officially end in 2028, but will now end in December 2025, according to the superintendent.
The letter from the Department of Education cited a conflict between the current administration’s priorities and those of the previous administration as the reason for the early termination stating in part, “The Department has undertaken a review of grants and determined that the grant specified above provides funding for programs that reflect the prior Administration’s priorities and policy preferences and conflict with those of the current Administration, in that the programs: violate the letter or purpose of Federal civil rights law; conflict with the Department’s policy of prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education; undermine the well-being of the students these programs are intended to help; or constitute an inappropriate use of federal funds.”
Feliciano expressed concern about the impact of losing these services.
“We’re talking about the loss of all of those services and including all of those educators that work so closely with our students,” he said.
Tad Bruneau, a parent in the district and an occupational therapist working in early intervention, expressed the importance of mental health services.
“I just think that it’s important to put money into services like that, so it’s disappointing if they are cutting services like that,” Bruneau said.
Bruneau also emphasized the ongoing need for mental health support for students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had the COVID lockdown, and kids that were at home, and that were nervous about things, and then missed all that time to be around other kids and be in a setting,” Bruneau said. “So I think that there’s still work to do to catch up, and I think that cutting services instead of adding to them right now doesn’t really make a lot of sense.”
The school district plans to appeal the early funding cut.