A federal court has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the U.S. Department of Education from discontinuing school-based mental health grants, following legal action led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 16 states. The injunction blocks the Trump Administration from ending funding for nearly 50 grantees in plaintiff states, including millions allocated to 21 local education agencies and universities in California.
The decision was made by U.S. District Court Judge Kymberly Evanson, who denied the Department’s motion to dismiss the case. In her ruling, Judge Evanson stated that the coalition of states is likely to prove that the Department acted arbitrarily and capriciously, violating the Administrative Procedure Act. The court found that the Department failed to justify its decisions or consider resources already invested by grant recipients.
Attorney General Bonta commented on the outcome: “The court’s decision requires the Trump Administration’s Department of Education to provide thousands of students in our state a fair shot at accessing crucial mental health services that support their success and wellbeing, while our litigation continues,” said Attorney General Bonta.“Instead of fulfilling its mission of promoting educational excellence and equity for all students, the Department of Education is using baseless and unlawful excuses to rip funding from projects that provide necessary mental health services — especially in our low-income and rural communities. The court’s ruling brings us one step closer to ensuring the Department of Education follows the law when it makes mental health grant award decisions in the future.”
The lawsuit centers on two Congressionally-established programs: the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program and School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program. These initiatives were funded after Congress appropriated $1 billion for school mental health supports following a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
According to data cited from sampled programs by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), these grants helped serve about 775,000 students during their first year and supported hiring nearly 1,300 school mental health professionals. NASP also reported significant positive outcomes such as reduced suicide risk at high-need schools, lower absenteeism rates, fewer behavioral issues, and improved student-staff engagement.
Despite these results, on April 29, 2025, notices were sent by the Department informing grantees—including those in California—that their projects conflicted with new administrative priorities focused on “merit, fairness, and excellence in education.” State attorneys general argue that these reasons lack legal basis under federal law and allege violations of both statutory requirements governing grant administration as well as constitutional provisions regarding spending powers.
The preliminary injunction will remain while litigation proceeds.
