City Council Votes 'No' on Amendment to Fully Fund Student Mental Health Resources

by Lauryn Bray

On Tuesday, Aug. 13, the Seattle City Council rejected an amendment proposed by Councilmember Tammy Morales that would allocate the full $20 million in funding previously promised by the Council for student mental health resources for select high schools. The approved legislation will instead allocate just $2.25 million in additional funding, bringing the total endowment for student mental health services up to $12.25 million.

"Following incidents of gun violence at Seattle schools last year, the Seattle City Council worked with students to secure more funding for mental health services in schools. The legislation is supposed to raise $20 million per year by modestly increasing Seattle's JumpStart progressive tax on the biggest businesses," said Morales in an Aug. 6 press release. "Under the proposed supplemental budget adjustment … the city would only release half that funding, $10 million, this year."

Students, organizers, and former elected officials attended Tuesday's City Council meeting to oppose the cut in funding.

"This is my third time testifying in support of funding for youth mental health supports," said District 3 resident, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) parent, and former SPS School Board Director Vivian Song. "I recognize the complexity of closing a significant budget deficit when there is tremendous need and challenge our city is facing. Preventing youth gun violence is a matter of public safety — this is why I continue to be persistent on this. We cannot ignore the trends and rise of violent crime in our city, [and] how much younger the victims and perpetrators are. Please vote 'yes' for the amendments submitted by Councilmembers Morales and Strauss."

In his public comment to City Council, SPS teacher and education policy lobbyist and advocate Oliver Miska responded to comments that funding student mental health services is a state issue. "Those of us who work in education know that innovation comes from local cities and districts bold enough to invest in restorative justice practices, ethnic studies, and other practices that students have been calling for since before 2017," said Miska. "In September, you have the opportunity to tell the legislature to tax the rich by passing progressive revenue to fully fund our schools. Don't tell our kids it's not your job; tell the legislature in Olympia."

Following public comment, the agenda was amended so the Council could first vote on Morales' amendment for bringing the pot for student mental health services back up to $20 million. The vote was 5—4, with Councilmembers Robert Kettle, Cathy Moore, Maritza Rivera, Dan Strauss, and Sara Nelson voting no. Strauss' amendment then passed unanimously and increased the $10 million outlined in the proviso to $12.25 million.

Councilmember Rivera addressed meeting attendees in her comment following the vote in which she stated that she voted against Morales' amendment to ensure the City is able to fulfill its promises to community. "It is problematic to be making promises to community that we very well know we cannot keep, because what you saw today is what happens — people leave here and children leave here thinking we are not supporting them, when that is the furthest from the truth, and that is very upsetting to me," said Rivera. "The performative stuff that happens here at City Council — that happened before now — is not okay."

Morales let her fellow Councilmembers know that she would not be voting to pass the midyear supplemental budget. "Colleagues, I just want to make clear that I can't in good conscience vote on this midyear supplemental bill, [and] not just because it goes back on the promised funding to the students. This Council voted yes on funding millions of dollars for a second jail just last week, voted on exorbitant bonuses for [the Seattle Police Department] earlier this year — all of which will contribute tens of millions of dollars to our budget deficit," said Morales.

"I've tried three times to reduce harm in this midyear supplemental bill, including an amendment to provide permanent funding for the [CARE Community Crisis Responder Team] and, of course, my amendment to try to support young people — that promise that we just broke. We've added dozens of new positions to City departments in the midyear supplemental without identifying how we're supposed to pay for them, but we're saying that we can't afford to fund programs for these young people."

Following a comment from Strauss, who urged his fellow Councilmembers to vote yes, City Council voted 8—1 to pass the midyear supplemental budget.

Featured image via SewCreamStudio/Shutterstock.com.