(The Center Square) – The King County Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning,or DEEL, has announced it is expanding its Student Mental Health pilot program services at up to three additional schools beginning this fall.
The $4.5 million pilot program, which was launched in May, was conceived of as a partnership between schools, students and community organizations.
The first five pilot schools are Aki Kurose Middle School, Rainier Beach High School, Denny Middle School, Chief Sealth High School and Ingraham High School. Each of these pilot schools received $125,000 to implement student focused mental health services in the 2022-23 school year.
That funding expires this August.
“Four select schools are invited to apply for up to $500,000 through a competitive funding process to implement services over two school years, through 2025,” a Thursday news release touting the program’s expansion says.
Additional schools eligible to take part in the expansion of the pilot program are Cleveland High School, Franklin High School, Garfield High School and Nathan Hale High School.
“Existing pilot schools will also receive up to $500,000 through 2025 to support continuity of newly implemented services for students,” the news release notes.
The announcement of the pilot program’s expansion was light on implementation details, noting that “schools are empowered to implement services tailored to the specific needs of their students.”
The Center Square reached out to DEEL for comment on the source of funding for the pilot program, as well as efficacy metrics.
DEEL spokesperson Sage Leibenson said the funding for the $4.5 million pilot program breaks down as follows: $1.5 million from the 2018 voter-approved Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy, $2 million from the Seattle JumpStart Payroll Expense Tax and $1 million from Seattle’s general fund.
“DEEL will work closely with awarded schools to create school-specific monitoring and reporting plans that align with the priorities of the investment and schools’ goals for implementation, quality, and outcomes,” she said about measuring the pilot program’s effectiveness. “As part of this work, schools approved for funding will join learning community convenings – comprised of students, school staff, community partners, mental health experts, and DEEL staff – to build upon successful services, share strategies for student and community engagement, and receive support on areas for improvement.”
This funding for the pilot program comes amid a $131 million deficit in the Seattle Public School system, as previously reported by The Center Square.
