Why Murrieta Schools Rejected $804K Grant For Mental Health Services: Report

MURRIETA, CA — After much deliberation, the Murrieta school board decided not to accept a more than $800,000 grant from the state that would have bolstered mental health services for students.

Trustees turned down the money at their Tuesday meeting, where members were split over whether the funding would spell trouble later on, The Press-Enterprise reported.

Among the top issues was a worry that parents wouldn't be notified about what their children would be seeking help for.

The money was offered to the Murrieta Valley Unified School District by the Riverside County Office of Education from School-Linked Partnerships and Capacity Grants.

The one-time grant aims to "strengthen school-linked behavioral health services," build infrastructure and expand provider capacity, according to the state.

Trustees were split in a 3-2 vote, with President Nick Pardue and members Eleanor Briggs and Christine Schmidt voting against the grant. Nancy Young and Yvonne Munoz voted in favor.

“The actual reality is that patients have a right to privacy and, at a certain age, your child is able to get care without your knowledge,” Munoz said in defense of the grant.

Schmidt worried that the grant raised red flags and came with strings attached, such as one clause within the grant called “blind billing.” The system could charge parents’ insurance without letting them know what services their child received, The Press-Enterprise reported.

“I realize it is a lot of money and schools need money,” she told the newspaper. “But nothing is free.”

Read more from The Press-Enterprise: Murrieta schools reject $804,000 state grant for mental health services