Senate committee hears Rochester request to backfill lost federal mental‑health grant

Senator Bolden on Tuesday asked the Education Finance Committee to approve a one‑time state appropriation to Rochester Public Schools to replace federal grant funds that were terminated early.

The bill sponsor said the federally funded School‑Based Mental Health Scholars program had been awarded nearly $1.9 million over five years to build a pipeline of school‑based mental‑health professionals in Rochester but that the federal grant was terminated in 2025, cutting the final two years. "This bill provides an appropriation to Rochester Public Schools to replace grant funds that were allocated by the federal Department of Education," the sponsor said.

A Rochester Public Schools official who identified themself as the district's director of student well‑being testified that the program doubled supervised capacity in classrooms and allowed staff and community members to obtain social‑work degrees before returning to work as mental‑health support positions in schools. The witness said the district served nearly 300 students in the first six months and expanded service in the following year; the earlier federal award was described as nearly $1.9 million and committee testimony said the district had drawn down roughly $900,000 to $1,000,000, which is why the sponsor offered an amendment for $1 million.

Senators raised questions about exact counts and oversight. Senator Baldwin asked whether state funding would carry the same reporting and monitoring requirements as the federal grant; the sponsor and the district witness said the state grant would be structured as an MDE grant agreement with up to 2 percent available for agency administration and that similar progress reporting could be required in the bill language.

The committee adopted the A1 amendment by voice vote and laid the bill, as amended, over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill.

Why it matters: Committee members framed the request as a local consequence of federal grant cancellations, saying the loss of federal funds had immediate effects on workforce development and student access to school‑based mental‑health supports. The appropriation would be a one‑time backfill intended to allow current scholars to complete training and preserve a model the district said had produced measurable service increases.

The committee did not adopt a final appropriation amount beyond the A1 amendment's insertion and did not take a roll‑call fiscal vote; the item was laid over for possible inclusion in a broader omnibus appropriation bill.