Meadows Institute Launches Financial Toolkit to Support Texas School Mental Health Programming
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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health and child advocacy experts raised concerns about the state of children’s mental health. Nationally, one in six children experiences a mental illness challenge each year—a figure that rises to one in three in Texas. The pandemic exacerbated these challenges, affecting not only students’ emotional health but also their academic performance, classroom behavior, and school attendance. Educational leaders recognize the impact of the critical link between student mental health and academic success, with rising levels of anxiety and depression contributing to reduced attendance rates. While school districts have implemented programs to support both student and educator wellness, persistent budget deficits threaten their long-term viability. Addressing these financial challenges requires systemic, sustainable strategies to ensure continued investment in mental health and wellness initiatives.
Recognizing these challenges, the Meadows Institute and the Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO) recently released “Resource Allocation to Support Well-Being in Public Schools,” a comprehensive toolkit to help district leaders identify and secure funding for Texas school mental health initiatives. This strategic resource provides public school budgeting and finance guidance for allowable expenditures to support school safety and wellbeing initiatives for students and staff. It also includes ideas for how to braid and blend multiple funding sources to ensure these programs remain viable over time.
The release of this toolkit in February 2025 comes at a pivotal moment, aligning with three critical factors:
- The end of federal funding following the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., American Rescue Plan Act and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER)).
- The start of budget planning for Texas school districts for the 2025-2026 school year.
- The 89th Legislative Session, which includes school funding decisions for Texas schools.
By bridging the gap between student support teams and financial decision-makers, this toolkit empowers school leaders to develop a shared understanding of the importance of mental health programming and the funding strategies needed to sustain it. The toolkit aims to create a lasting impact, serving as a valuable resource for Texas districts for years to come, establishing a solid foundation and shared language, and ensuring that critical mental health resources remain accessible for students and educators well into the future.