Wisconsin Educators Ask for More Assistance in Treating Children's Mental Health Issues

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023 -- 11:00 AM

(By Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio) -During his annual State of the State address, Gov. Tony Evers declared 2023 "the year of mental health," promising to seek hundreds of millions of dollars to help children who have spent the last three years struggling because of the pandemic, according to Corrinne Hess with the Wisconsin Public Radio. 

"We have work to do to get our kids caught up from the past few years," Evers said in late January. "We all want to improve outcomes and ensure our kids are prepared for success. And I believe that together we will."

Evers’ proposed biennial budget included more than $270 million to expand mental health services in schools. But by May, the Republican-led budget writing committee had cut 38 education-related items, including the mental health funding.

In his budget veto message, Evers restored $30 million to continue funding for a program called "Get Kids Ahead," which helps schools provide mental health services to students through community partnerships. Educators say they need more money to support children who have increased anxiety and depression.

"Throughout the whole budget process we were hoping that people would come together and recognize the need to robustly fund mental health in our schools, and I am glad we got something, but $30 million is just not enough," said Abby Swetz, communications director for the state Department of Public Instruction. "We need to stop asking our schools to do what they can with what little they get."

Previously, districts competed for "Get Kids Ahead" grants, with maximum award amounts of $75,000. The $30 million modifies the program, requiring DPI to distribute funding to every school district. A report from the non-partisan Legislative Audit Bureau released last Thursday on K-12 funding found the $30 million would provide payments of approximately $31 per pupil in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Swetz, a former eighth grade teacher, said the best way to know if students are struggling is to ask them. Of the 1,800 students at 43 Wisconsin public, charter and alternative schools who completed the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Study in 2021, more than half said they struggled with significant anxiety, the largest percentage since that question was added in 2017.

Over a third of the students surveyed reported suffering depression in 2021, the highest level since 1999. And 18 percent of students said they had considered suicide. The numbers are even higher for LGBTQ+ students.

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