7061-9650 Student Wellness School Supports

For the Supporting Healthy Alliances Reinforcing Education (SHARE) grant program to provide an integrated student wellness grant program to assist schools with addressing nonacademic barriers to student success; provided, that grants shall be used to support school districts establishing an infrastructure to facilitate integrated coordination of school and community-based resources including, but not limited to, social services, mental health and behavioral health resources; provided further, that not less than $495,000 shall be awarded by the department to schools and school districts serving high percentages of low-income students; provided further, that said supports may include funding to assist public school districts in contracting with licensed community-based health care service providers, including mental and behavioral health providers; provided further, that said program shall be administered by the department of elementary and secondary education in coordination with the executive office of health and human services; provided further, that the department shall prioritize applications for such services that are submitted by school districts whose applications are consistent with infrastructure and coordination efforts linking schools to community-based resources in accordance with item 7061-9612 of section 2 of chapter 154 of the acts of 2018; provided further, that such support grants may be expended to assist school districts in connecting students with community-based services to maximize coordination with service providers and establish more comprehensive continuums of care; provided further, that such grants may also be expended to support increased professional development opportunities for public school employees to identify students in need of mental and behavioral health support; provided further, that not later than December 30, 2026, the department shall issue a report outlining all student support efforts funded by this item; provided further, that the report shall be provided to the senate president, the speaker of the house of representatives, the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on education; provided further, that for the purposes of this item, appropriated funds may be expended for programs or activities during the summer months; provided further, that any unexpended funds in this item shall not revert but shall be made available for the purposes of this item until August 28, 2027; and provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any funds distributed from this item to a city, town or regional school district shall be deposited with the treasurer of such city, town or regional school district and held in a separate account and shall be expended by the school committee of such city, town or regional school district without further appropriation, notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary