• The Trump administration terminated millions of dollars in federal grants that went towards hiring mental health professionals in rural, traditionally underserved school districts.
• U.S Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said these cuts will impact over 27,000 students in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region.

With the school year starting soon, many have concerns regarding mental health for students in schools as the Trump administration terminated millions of dollars in federal grants that help hire mental health professionals in rural school districts.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stood alongside teachers and mental health professionals in the Seneca Falls High School on Aug. 12 to discuss how President Donald Trump’s Department of Education took away federal grants that support mental health.

Schumer demands that the DOE immediately release over $8 million for Rochester-Finger Lakes schools, expressing how these cuts disproportionately hurt students in rural districts.

“By cutting off millions in federal funding, Trump is ripping hundreds of mental health professionals out of Rochester-Finger Lakes Schools,” Schumer said. “With school starting later this month, the clock is ticking on restoring these grants and ensuring our kids have access to adequate mental health resources.”

27,000 children impacted in the region

Sen. Schumer said if these cuts are not reversed they will affect over 27,000 students in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, impacting 264 mental health professionals’ positions out of schools where they were to be placed over the next five years and harming the students depending on them for counseling, crisis intervention and violence prevention.

In the Rochester-Finger Lakes Region, 176 mental health professionals earning their graduate degrees have been placed in schools through the 5-year Mental Health Service Professionals Project grants awarded to the Sodus, Lyons and Seneca Falls Central School Districts and to Nazareth University.

With this project, graduate students get real-world experience working with students in school while they complete their degree. Not only does this benefit graduate students but also schools benefit from having mental health professionals available for students.

Schumer mentioned how these funding cuts will hit many school districts throughout the Rochester-Finger Lakes region such as East Irondequoit, Gates-Chili, Greece and Rush-Henrietta in Monroe County and Lyons, Marion, Palmyra-Macedon and Williamson in Wayne County and several others.

‘Trusted adults in school’ will be depleted

Dr. Hennessey Lustica, project director in the Seneca Falls and Lyons School Districts, spoke on the federal funding being discontinued and how this impacts their district. “When the federal funding was discontinued, it wasn’t just a line item in a budget that disappeared — it was trusted adults in schools, critical mental health supports and a lifeline for students in crisis,” Lustica said. “Without sustained investment, rural and underserved communities are left vulnerable to losing the very resources that help their youth thrive.”

Dr. Matt Barr, superintendent for the Lyons School District, expressed how the Wellness Workforce Collaborative has brought talented interns into their schools who understands the community and connects with students.

“We’ve been able to hire them back as full-time staff, creating stability for kids and families who depend on those relationships,” Barr said. “If this funding disappears, so does that pipeline. It means fewer counselors in our halls, longer wait times for support and more students slipping through the cracks.”

Duygu Balan, a licensed psychotherapist, stressed the importance of having school-based mental health professionals as they often serve as the primary access point for support in many communities, particularly in rural or underserved areas where providers are scarce.

Balan also recalled a time when she met a quiet sixth-grader who was struggling with panic attacks when she was working in a New York City school early in her career.

“He had never told his family because they were already under financial and emotional strain and there was no therapist in his community,” Balan said. “Our sessions at school became his safe place. Over time he learned how to manage his anxiety, speak up for himself and even joined the debate team.”

According to Balan, having someone on-site means concerns can be identified and addressed early before they develop into more significant challenges.

— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County.