MADISON, Conn. (WTNH) — A new service is being provided to students in more than 70 school districts, including in the Madison Public Schools.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz highlighted a new school mental health specialist grant awarded to the Madison Public Schools.
“This is a second of three rounds of grant funding aimed at increasing the number of mental health professionals in our schools,” Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz (D-Conn.) said at the first day of school at Ryerson Elementary School on Tuesday.
The state is using $15 million from funding it received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Madison is receiving $60,000 for the 2024 and 2025 school years and 42,000 for 2026, for a total of $162,000.
“We would staff that person here and allow us to move another staff member to another school and have a school counse”or at each and every school,” Superintendent Dr. Craig Cooke said.
State officials and school leaders consider the grant money used to hire mental health workers as critical while students learn to live with the everyday challenges of life and the residual effects that COVID-19 has had on learning.
“If kids are feeling well physically and mentally, then they can experience learn”ng and do the best at school,” Bysiewicz said.
Connecticut State Department of Education’s School Mental Health Specialist Grant Recipients for 2024, 2025 and 2026
| School District | Award for 2024 | Award for 2025 | Award for 2026 | Total Grant Award |
| Andover School District | $43,750 | $43,750 | $30,625 | $118,125 |
| Ansonia School District | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| Area Cooperative Educational Services | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| Bloomfield School District | $88,422.03 | $88,422.03 | $61,895.42 | $238,739.48 |
| Bozrah School District | $81,585 | $81,585 | $57,109.50 | $220,279.50 |
| Bristol School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Canterbury School District | $59,517.91 | $59,517.91 | $41,662.53 | $160,698.34 |
| Canton School District | $40,000 | $40,000 | $28,000 | $108,000 |
| Cheshire School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Columbia School District | $62,000 | $62,000 | $43,400 | $167,400 |
| Common Ground High School District | $88,562 | $88,562 | $61,993.40 | $239,117.40 |
| Coventry School District | $45,815 | $45,815 | $32,070.50 | $123,700.50 |
| Cromwell School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Darien School District | $47,020 | $47,020 | $32,914 | $126,954 |
| East Haddam School District | $50,150 | $50,150 | $35,105 | $135,405 |
| East Lyme School District | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| East Windsor School District | $46,869 | $46,869 | $32,808.30 | $126,546.30 |
| Easton School District | $62,500 | $62,500 | $43,750 | $168,750 |
| Ellington School District | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| Fairfield School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Granby School District | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| Great Oaks Charter School District | $90,732 | $90,732 | $63,512.40 | $244,976.40 |
| Groton School District | $86,000 | $86,000 | $60,200 | $232,200 |
| Highville Charter School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Integrated Day Charter School District | $71,500 | $71,500 | $50,050 | $193,050 |
| Interdistrict School for Arts and Comm District | $110,337 | $110,337 | $77,235.90 | $297,909.90 |
| Jumoke Academy District | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| Killingly School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Lebanon School District | $77,694.14 | $77,694.14 | $54,385.90 | $209,774.18 |
| Ledyard School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Madison School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Marlborough School District | $65,743.60 | $65,743.60 | $46,020.52 | $177,507.72 |
| Montville School District | $85,448 | $85,448 | $59,813.60 | $230,709.60 |
| New Hartford School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Newington School District | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| Norwich Free Academy District | $49,406.50 | $49,406.50 | $34,584.55 | $133,397.55 |
| Old Saybrook School District | $70,012 | $70,012 | $49,008.40 | $189,032.40 |
| Orange School District | $92,505 | $92,505 | $64,753.50 | $249,763.50 |
| Plainfield School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Preston School District | $51,800 | $51,800 | $36,260 | $139,860 |
| Putnam School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Redding School District | $85,600 | $85,600 | $59,920 | $231,120 |
| Regional School District 05 | $68,211 | $68,211 | $47,747.70 | $184,169.70 |
| Regional School District 06 | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| Regional School District 10 | $42,187.50 | $42,187.50 | $29,531.25 | $113,906.25 |
| Regional School District 13 | $110,500 | $110,500 | $77,350 | $298,350 |
| Regional School District 14 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Regional School District 19 | $61,052 | $61,052 | $42,736.40 | $164,840.40 |
| Scotland School District | $89,000 | $89,000 | $62,300 | $240,300 |
| Shelton School District | $87,411 | $87,411 | $61,187.70 | $236,009.70 |
| Sherman School District | $71,789.86 | $71,789.86 | $50,252.90 | $193,832.62 |
| Simsbury School District | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| Sterling School District | $103,460 | $103,460 | $72,422 | $279,342 |
| Stonington School District | $42,500 | $42,500 | $29,750 | $114,750 |
| Stratford School District | $46,267 | $46,267 | $32,386.90 | $124,920.90 |
| Suffield School District | $67,664 | $67,664 | $47,364.80 | $182,692.80 |
| The Bridge Academy District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| The Gilbert School District | $119,160 | $119,160 | $83,412 | $321,732 |
| The Woodstock Academy District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Thompson School District | $118,461 | $118,461 | $82,922.70 | $319,844.70 |
| Tolland School District | $61,256 | $61,256 | $42,879.20 | $165,391.20 |
| Vernon School District | $119,631 | $119,631 | $83,741.70 | $323,003.70 |
| Voluntown School District | $25,150 | $25,150 | $17,605 | $67,905 |
| Wallingford School District | $39,448 | $39,448 | $27,613.60 | $106,509.60 |
| Waterbury School District | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| Westbrook School District | $78,000 | $78,000 | $54,600 | $210,600 |
| Wethersfield School District | $120,000 | $120,000 | $84,000 | $324,000 |
| Willington School District | $80,373 | $80,373 | $56,261.10 | $217,007.10 |
| Wilton School District | $115,963.68 | $115,963.68 | $81,174.58 | $313,101.94 |
| Winchester School District | $70,000 | $70,000 | $49,000 | $189,000 |
| Windham School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |
| Windsor Locks School District | $60,000 | $60,000 | $42,000 | $162,000 |