Health in Schools Grant Act

Summary#

The Community Schools and Health Equity Act is a bill to create a federal competitive grant program; it does not amend an existing Act. Its stated goal is to support starting or expanding health services in community schools. The bill has been introduced but is not law, so whether it will take effect is uncertain.

  • The Secretary of Education must run the grant program in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
  • Eligible applicants are local education agencies, groups of those agencies, and partnerships between an agency and one or more listed community, health, or higher-education organizations.
  • Grant recipients must use funds for one or more listed activities. These include health services, hiring and training staff, wraparound supports such as housing referrals, and culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
  • Education must give priority to applicants serving groups or areas with specified needs, such as high concentrations of low-income students or medically underserved areas.
  • Grant recipients must report annually on their activities and student outcomes. The Education Secretary must report to Congress at least every three years.
  • The bill says it does not alter or override federal student and health privacy protections.

What it means for you#

  • Schools and eligible partners: A local education agency could apply for a grant alone, with other agencies, or in a partnership with one or more listed organizations. Applying would require an application in the form and with the information the Education Secretary requires.
  • Grant recipients: They must spend the grant on at least one activity listed in the bill and report each year they receive grant money. The bill does not guarantee that an applicant will receive a grant.
  • Students and families: A funded activity could provide services such as primary or mental health care, referrals, nutrition assistance, or family engagement. The bill does not require every school or student to receive these services.
  • Taxpayers: The bill creates a grant program but does not state how much money would be available or how much the program would cost.

Money#

The bill requires a grant program but gives no funding amount or cost estimate.

  • It does not state an amount to be appropriated for grants or for federal administration.
  • It requires the two Secretaries to coordinate, provide technical assistance, and reduce administrative burdens, but gives no staffing or cost figures.
  • Grant recipients would have reporting duties; the bill gives no estimate of their costs.

What is unclear#

  • The bill does not set grant amounts, the number of grants, or how long grants would last.
  • The Education Secretary would set application details, but the bill does not specify selection procedures, timelines, or appeals.
  • The bill lists priority factors but does not say how they would be weighed against one another.
  • It does not set measures for judging health, attendance, or academic outcomes. It requires some data to be broken down by student group only “to the extent practicable.”
  • The bill refers to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act’s definition of “full-service community school”; that definition is not included in the supplied material.

Case for#

  • The bill appears intended to help schools connect students with health and related supports, including mental health care, referrals, and help addressing needs affecting students and families.
  • A possible argument for competitive grants is that they could support different combinations of services suited to local needs.
  • Giving priority to applicants with high levels of need or partnerships with health providers could direct grants toward places the bill identifies as underserved.
  • Required reports and periodic federal evaluations could give Congress information about activities and outcomes.

Case against#

  • The bill does not set a funding level or grant size, so the scale of the program and its cost are unknown.
  • It leaves key choices—including application rules and how priorities are weighed—to the Education Secretary.
  • Annual reporting on student outcomes and group-level data could create work for grant recipients; the bill does not estimate that burden.
  • The bill protects existing federal privacy rules but does not explain how schools and partners should coordinate health and education services while complying with them.