Schools throughout California are celebrating a significant boost.

Governor Gavin Newsom has enacted legislation enabling schools to access Medicaid reimbursements for the mental health services they offer students. Currently, schools face numerous barriers that hinder them from pursuing such reimbursements.

For the Franklin-McKinley School District in San Jose, prioritizing students’ mental health is a top concern, and the recent development from Sacramento is seen as timely. The district currently allocates one-time COVID funds to fund a counselor at each campus, but this funding is set to expire at the end of the school year. Superintendent Juan Cruz emphasized the critical need for on-campus services, especially for students requiring immediate attention.

Cruz expressed relief at the news that schools are now better positioned to receive federal reimbursement for mental health services provided to students eligible for Medi-Cal, a category encompassing most children in the district.