Whitmer claims historic investment in student mental health resources

After signing into law a state budget that cut student mental health funding by $300 million, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer claimed to support a historic level of state spending on mental health resources for students.

“We’re continuing our historic investments in mental health resources in schools to help Michigan’s students thrive,” Whitmer tweeted Aug. 22.

The governor agreed to a 92% cut in state funds intended for student mental health in the 2025 fiscal year budget. On Aug. 13, Michigan Capitol Confidential reported that Whitmer reduced mental health funding by $300 million while doling out $1 billion in pork projects to handpicked organizations.

Whitmer shut down classrooms for almost a year during the pandemic. The governor mandated school closures in March 2020 and did not call for a return to the classroom until January 2021. Some schools continued sporadic closures based on COVID-19 numbers.

Education Week reported in January 2022 that lockdowns harmed students’ mental health. “From the very first waves of school closures and lockdowns in 2020, the pandemic significantly damaged children’s mental health in ways teachers are still coping with and researchers are still struggling to understand,” it said.

The National Institutes of Health published a review on the issue in March. “Recognizing the long-term implications of heightened stress, anxiety, and social isolation, it is imperative that research and public health efforts prioritize understanding and addressing these challenges,” it said.

Whitmer did not respond to an email seeking comment.