A United States federal appeals court has rejected an attempt by the Trump administration to stop the release of millions of dollars in school mental health grants meant to address nationwide shortages of counselors, psychologists, and social workers.
The grants were approved by Congress in the aftermath of the 2022 Uvalde, Texas, school shooting to help improve student mental health services, particularly in underserved and rural districts, according to AP reports published by CTPost.
The Biden administration had initially disbursed the funds, giving priority to school districts seeking to hire counselors from diverse backgrounds or from within the communities they serve.
However, after taking office, the Trump administration moved to dismantle parts of the program, arguing that the race-conscious hiring criteria included in some grant applications were “divisive” and harmful to students. Recipients were informed that funding would not continue beyond December 2025.
In October, U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson ruled that the administration’s cancellation efforts were “arbitrary and capricious,” prompting the U.S. Department of Education and Education Secretary Linda McMahon to request an emergency stay.
But on Thursday, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied that request, saying the federal government failed to show it was likely to succeed on its jurisdictional arguments or that it would suffer “irreparable injury” if the grants continued.
The court’s preliminary ruling applies to grantees in 16 Democratic-led states that filed the lawsuit. In California alone, the decision restores nearly $3.8 million for Madera County schools and another $8 million for Marin County.
Following the October ruling, the Trump administration criticized the grants, claiming they had been used “to promote divisive ideologies based on race and sex,” a claim strongly rejected by the states and school districts involved in the lawsuit.
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