“Tennessee’s governor has a novel idea to fund more student mental health services. Will it pay off?” was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization covering public education. Sign up for their newsletters at chalkbeat.org/pages/newsletters.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s proposed $250 million trust fund for student mental health is generating accolades for its magnitude, but new questions are emerging about the plan’s unconventional funding approach.
The one-time amount, pulled from better-than-expected tax revenues, would establish an endowment that dedicates annual investment income toward mental health needs. Those could include clinical services in K-12 schools, trauma-informed training for educators, mental health awareness campaigns and initiatives to quell bullying, violenceand suicide.
But projections released last week suggest the endowment initially would generate only about 2%, or $4.5 million annually – a third of what was expected when the governor first proposed the idea last year.
The lower projections have added fuel to arguments that a trust fund might not be the best approach to tend to needs that have become more acute and widespread during the pandemic, as students have become more socially isolated.