Call on Seattle City Council to reject 50 percent cut to student mental health funding

Seattle City Councilmember Tammy J. Morales' (District 2) will, again, bring forward legislation tomorrow that would stop the Seattle City Council from cutting $10 million in funding for student mental health.

"We must keep our promises to Seattle's kids. To my fellow councilmembers who called for change after the shootings at Ingraham High, Garfield High, and schools across our nation - now is the time for action. It's time for us to put our money where our mouth is, live up to our values, and reject this effort to shortchange Seattle students. Our kids, our entire community is watching," said Councilmember Morales.

Background

Tomorrow, during its meeting at 2 PM, the Council will take a second and final vote on whether to cut funding for Seattle students or approve Councilmember Morales' legislation to keep its promise and release full funding for student mental health.

Last year, the City of Seattle worked with students and approved $20 million per year to fund mental health services in Seattle's schools. However, a budget proposal by the mayor would cut that funding in half to just $10 million this year.

Last week, a Council committee narrowly rejected Councilmember Morales' legislation to protect the funding for student mental health by a vote of 4-4 with one abstention. That means just one additional Councilmember has to vote in favor of the legislation tomorrow for it to pass.

Community calls to protect student mental health funding

"Last week, concerns were raised about DEEL's capacity to manage $10M of mental health funds, but we've experienced their department to be both effective and thoughtful. WA-BLOC is one of only three Restorative Practices professional development providers for 30 levy-funded schools in Seattle, and we've struggled to meet the need. Despite reduced funding this coming school year, we will still engage elementary school students in leadership development, helping them build positive empathetic relationships and holistically resolve conflicts. This year we will be serving schools in D2 and D3, though we have served school communities in D1 and D6 in the past. We know firsthand that expanded funding would enhance our ability to collaborate with other clinical and non-clinical school-based mental health providers and better support our school communities," said Sierra Parsons, Strategy and Partnerships Director for WA-BLOC.

"For far too long, our communities have been torn apart by gun violence and Seattle has relied on community-based organizations to get us through it. This funding would've transformed how we fight this crisis and provide the necessary tools to community-based organizations to protect Seattle from gun violence. We are calling on the council to reconsider what's on the line and give tools to these organizations, rather than take them away," said Shannon Mayo, a volunteer with the Washington chapter of Moms Demand Action.

Dozens of children, students, and anti-gun violence advocates also spoke at City Hall last week and called on the Council to approve Councilmember Morales' legislation (video available here).

What's next

If approved, the funding could be used to immediately expand current programs by organizations already doing the work within Seattle Public Schools. That could include things like the Community Safety Initiative funded through our Human Services Department, expand restorative justice programming already contracted through our Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL), and expand social emotional learning programming.

Under the legislation, a full spending plan would be presented by Department of Education and Early Learning to the council in October.

The final vote is scheduled for tomorrow during the full Council meeting at 2 PM.

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