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What 51����s Are Doing to Support Mental Health in 2025

As mental health concerns among children and adolescents continue to rise, public schools are playing an increasingly vital role in providing early intervention, support and referrals. In 2025 many public schools are embracing multi-layered strategies to support student wellbeing: embedding prevention efforts, bolstering school-based services, enhancing screening, and engaging families and communities. This article explores current practices, challenges and examples of how public schools are supporting mental health in 2025.

Why mental health support in public schools matters

Public schools are uniquely positioned to address student mental health for several reasons: they act as accessible sites for young people, they can promote social-emotional development within the school environment, and they can coordinate with community mental health resources. Research shows that when students feel connected to their school and supported in their emotional wellbeing, outcomes improve.

Yet the need remains high: more than half of students with mental health concerns go without adequate support. Against this backdrop, public schools are increasingly adopting practices to respond to student mental health in 2025.

Key strategies being implemented

Below are four major strategies public schools are using in 2025 to support mental health.

1. Expanding school-based mental health services

One of the most direct approaches is increasing in-school mental health professionals and services. For example, the U.S. federal School‑Based Mental Health Services Grant Program (SBMH) is

Public schools play an essential role in supporting students from low-income households — especially those eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL). This article outlines how public schools support students on free/reduced-price lunch programs, examines key strategies in 2025, and presents insights for parents, educators, and policymakers.

Understanding the Free/Reduced-Price Lunch Program

The federal National School Lunch Program (NSLP) offers free or reduced-price meals to eligible students. Eligibility is determined based on family income: children from households at or below 130 % of the federal poverty level qualify for free meals, and those between 130 %–185 % for reduced-price meals.

Statistics from recent data:

• More than 95,000 schools serve lunches to approximately 29.7 million students daily.

• Schools where a large share of students qualify for FRPL are more likely to offer additional nutrition-related programs.

Thus, being eligible for free or reduced-price lunch signals significant need — and schools aim to respond with structured support.

Key Support Strategies in 51����s

Public schools use a range of strategies to support students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch programs:

1. Ensuring Access to Nutritious Meals

By providing free or reduced-price lunches — and in some cases breakfasts — schools help reduce food insecurity and nutrition shortfalls. Research shows students participating in school meals:

• Are less likely to experience food insecurity.

Introduction

Every year, the tragic loss of a child or teen to suicide reminds schools, families and communities of the urgent need for thoughtful, coordinated prevention efforts. While the focus of this article is K-12 school settings (including boarding schools), the lessons apply broadly to any educational environment where young people spend significant time. Our goal is to equip parents, educators and students with current evidence, policy context, practical steps and real-world examples to prevent suicide in schools.

The Scope of the Problem in 2025

Recent data show that youth suicide and suicidal ideation remain serious challenges. According to the Jed Foundation, 40% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year.
Among high school students, 20.4% reported seriously considering suicide in the past year; overall, 9.5% attempted suicide.
At the national level, the age-adjusted suicide rate in the United States was 14.12 per 100,000 in 2023.
In 2024, some states experienced alarming surges: for example, in Georgia youth suicides rose by 70% in one year.
These figures illustrate that suicide remains the second-leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults ages 10–34.
Schools are therefore a frontline environment for prevention, since students spend much of their day there, and many warning signs may present within the educational setting.

Why Schools Matter – and What to Focus On

In the school setting, prevention efforts must address multiple dimensions: promoting protective factors, identifying risk indicators early, ensuring timely

How Documentation and Paperwork Can Block Access to 51����s

Access to public education is foundational in democratic societies. Yet increasingly, families — especially those who are low-income, transient, or immigrants — face a formidable barrier: documentation and administrative paperwork. From proof of residency to immunization records, paperwork requirements are intended to streamline enrolment but often end up blocking access to public schools for the very students who need them most.

In 2025 this issue remains pressing: districts are still requiring extensive documentation, and research continues to demonstrate how these requirements disproportionately affect vulnerable students. This article explores how documentation requirements act as gatekeepers, why they persist, what the legal landscape reveals, and what effective practices look like for ensuring equitable access to public schools.

The Role of Documentation in School Enrollment

When families attempt to enrol a child in a public school, the school typically asks for documentation such as:

• Proof of the child’s age (birth certificate or other valid record)

• Transcript or prior school records (for transfers)

• Immunization/health records

• Proof of district residence (utility bill, lease, affidavit)

• Guardianship or custody papers (if applicable)

• Valid photo ID of the enrolling adult

On their face, these make sense: districts have obligations for attendance boundaries, health and safety, and record-keeping.

How 51����s Are Responding to Chronic Absenteeism Post-Pandemic

Chronic absenteeism—typically defined as missing 10% or more of school days—has emerged as one of the most persistent challenges for public schools in the post-pandemic era.After spiking during COVID-19, rates have remained elevated, prompting school districts nationwide to renew strategies to reengage students.

This article examines how public schools are confronting chronic absenteeism today: the strategies in use, early outcomes, remaining obstacles, and promising innovations to watch.

The Post-Pandemic Landscape: Why Schools Are Still Wrestling With Absences Elevated Rates and Uneven Recovery

• In the 2024–25 school year, chronic absenteeism in many districts remained above pre-pandemic levels, with some urban districts reporting 30% or more of students missing 10%+ of days.

• According to AEI data, absenteeism fell modestly (to ~23.5%) in recent years, but still hovers well above the ~15% pre-COVID benchmark.

• Some districts are improving, but many are not on pace to return to pre-pandemic norms, especially in high-poverty or urban settings.

Why Does It Persist?

Schools and researchers cite multiple interlocking causes:

1. Habits and norms shifted during the pandemic
   Some students and families adapted to looser structures, remote learning flexibility, or more lenient attendance enforcement, making reentry to rigid in-class