Idaho Committee Tabled Behavioral Health Grant Program
State lawmakers sidelined $1.2 million in proposed funding for mental health hubs in ten rural school districts.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Mental Health
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The Idaho Legislature's Rural Health Transformation Committee recently voted to table a $1.2 million grant program designed to provide mental health services to students. Ten school districts, including Notus, Aberdeen, and American Falls, had applied for these funds to expand access to counselors.
Why it matters
The decision leaves rural districts without planned resources, citing the Legislature's previous rejection of a similar proposal in 2024. The program was intended to leverage a portion of a larger $186 million federal grant to address student mental health needs.
Notus School District reported that 46% of its students identified mental health as a significant concern in a recent survey. Individual grant requests included $60,000 for Notus and $110,000 for Aberdeen to bolster student services.
The players
Rural Health Transformation Committee
This is an Idaho legislative committee responsible for overseeing the allocation of federal rural healthcare transformation grants.
Notus School District
This is one of the ten rural districts that applied for behavioral health funding to support student counseling services.
Insight Counseling
This private mental health provider partnered with the Notus School District to provide clinical counselors to students.
The details
The committee shifted the $1.2 million out of the behavioral health hub program, effectively stalling plans for in-person and telehealth services in affected communities. Notus School District had already established a partnership with Insight Counseling to provide a clinical counselor for its students.
Timeline
The Legislature rejected a similar behavioral health proposal in 2024.
Notus conducted a student mental health survey in the fall of 2025.
The committee voted to table the grant program on September 25, 2026.
Superintendents reacted to the lost funding on September 29-30, 2026.
The Legislature could potentially reconsider the behavioral health proposal in 2027.
The Big Picture
This move follows the 2024 legislative session's rejection of rural behavioral health initiatives. The committee's current decision continues a trend of hesitation regarding direct state funding for expanded mental health infrastructure in rural school districts.
Students in rural districts like Notus and Aberdeen will lose out on planned in-school counseling and mental health facilities upgrades. Families in these areas will continue to face barriers to care, as students must often seek services in distant hubs like Caldwell or Pocatello.
The takeaway
Rural school districts continue to navigate the challenge of providing specialized care without dedicated state funding. Parents should check with local district administrators to see if alternative partnerships or community resources are available to fill the service gap.
What happens next
The Idaho Legislature is scheduled to convene for its next session in 2027, during which time members could move to reconsider the behavioral health hub proposal.
Further reading
For more information on state policies, visit the Mental Health section.
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