Congressman Menendez Announces $1.2 Million Federal Grant for Jersey City Public Schools Mental Health Program

Congressman Rob Menendez announced a $1.2 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education (DoED) for Jersey City Public Schools (JCPS). The funding, awarded through DoED’s Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program, will support JCPS’s Project STARR, an initiative designed to expand school-based mental health services for students across the district.

Project STARR will implement dual-focused school psychology practicums and internships to prepare graduate trainees to deliver early and intensive mental health services in addition to traditional school psychology competencies.

“I am proud to announce this funding, which advances a critical priority: the mental health of our children,” said Congressman Menendez. “By working with Jersey City Public Schools, we have delivered federal resources that will bring more mental health professionals into our schools and provide children with the support they need during a time when many students are facing unprecedented challenges. I have and always will fight for every resource we can secure to support our children and our public schools.”

Jersey City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez welcomed the grant, emphasizing its impact on student well-being.

“We are absolutely thrilled and deeply grateful to receive the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program Grant,” Fernandez said. “This funding represents a critical investment in our students’ well-being and will allow the district to continue and expand our school-based mental health services, ensuring students have consistent support to thrive both academically and personally.”

The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program provides competitive grants to support partnerships between institutions of higher education and high-need local education agencies to train school counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other mental health professionals. The program aims to address shortages of school-based mental health providers in low-income elementary and secondary schools.

Project STARR is structured around three primary goals: increasing the capacity of existing JCPS school psychologists through a dual-focus training program; expanding the number of newly hired, credentialed school psychologists available to deliver early intervention and intensive mental health services; and providing students with evidence-based mental health support through trainee practicums.

A strong advocate for public education, Congressman Menendez has worked alongside the New Jersey Democratic delegation to secure significant federal investments for local schools. Earlier this year, the delegation helped release $162 million in K–12 and adult education funding that had been frozen by the Trump Administration. Congressman Menendez has also delivered more than $15 million in funding for Head Start and early childhood education programs in New Jersey communities.