Seattle Student Union announces ‘Victory!’ following November student walkout.
SEATTLE – On Nov. 21, the City Council’s Budget Council preliminarily approved a proposal that would increase funding for mental health services across Seattle schools by $4 million over two years.
This brings the total city investment in mental health services and school-based health centers to $9.4 million in 2023 and $9.6 million in 2024, according to the Office of the Mayor.
The funding also includes a $250,000 proviso on the Department of Education and Early Learning to specifically expand mental health services at Ingraham High School. Currently, Seattle school mental health services are funded through its Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise Levy investments in school-based health centers.
School-based health centers “offer a comprehensive scope of services including asthma care, immunizations, family planning, and mental health counseling,” according to King County School Health.
The $4 million proposal follows the Nov. 14 Seattle student walkout in response to the Nov. 8 shooting at Ingraham that left one student dead. According to the Seattle Student Union and Ingraham For Gun Safety – major organizing groups of the walkout – the protesters’ demands were as follows:
- “Therapists that represent the diverse backgrounds of students”
- “Inclusion of a dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) class required for the acquisition of high school diploma”
- “Security trained in de-escalation tactics, anti-racism, and restorative justice”
- “Increase of beneficial outreach programs within schools”
In addition, the students called for updated secure gun storage laws and an assault rifle ban.
Following the $4 million passage, the SSU declared “Victory!” across its social media platforms, stating: “This was only possible because thousands of students walked out of school and demanded elected officials prevent gun violence.”
However, the organization also called to “continue fighting for our safety.”
“Student voices have been unequivocal following the heartbreaking Ingraham High School shooting: Preventing the next tragedy requires investing in mental health support and prioritizing gun safety,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell in a November press release. “As we enter the final stages of budget deliberations, we are responding to urgent student requests by increasing resources in mental health for our students and youth. While we push the state to further invest in this critical need, we are not waiting to ensure students receive expanded support now.”
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