The Arizona Department of Education lets districts request funds for on-campus police officers, social workers and counselors. In recent years, school districts have been told to prioritize officers in their safety grant applications, leaving them to find alternative ways to fund mental health positions.
The Union Elementary School District (UESD) in Tolleson, which serves about 1,700 K-eighth graders, has received a $5.2 million mental health grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The multi-year federal grant will allow UESD to have a psychologist at each of its four campuses. It’s the only Arizona school district to receive the funds…