On April 15, 20256 Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe participated in a roundtable with students and staff at Pottstown Middle School to show how mental health supports implemented in the Pottstown School District have improved outcomes in student success across the school district.

Since January 2023, Pennsylvania has made available nearly $375 million to our schools to support student mental health and security needs, which is a piece of the nearly $3 billion increase the Shapiro Administration has made available to schools to give them the resources they need to create opportunity for every student to succeed.

In  the Pottstown School District, such funding was used to hire a coach focused on student mental health and wellbeing. That coach has helped students go from failing every class to getting good grades, being on track to graduate, and attend college. As a result, the school district has also seen a 90 percent decrease in problematic behaviors like skipping class, a 20 percent decrease in failing grades, and a 40 percent increase in regular attendance

Presently, Governor Shapiro has included another $111 million in his 2026-27 budget proposal for school safety and mental health supports. Thus far, under the Shapiro Administration more than 800 schools have expanded access to mental health services, and more than 200 counselors have been hired since 2023.

For more details on the Pottstown School District program, click here.