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Study shows juvenile justice risk rises with childhood trauma but levels off at higher trauma counts.
States build trust funds to support child care as federal relief ends.
Georgia expands electric school buses to cut pollution and improve student health.
Research & Practice
K-12 Dive: HHS: Fewer Adolescents Report Depression, Suicidal Thoughts
In a report released by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, teen rates of suicidal thoughts and depression have declined between 2021 and 2024. 14,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 responded to questions related to mental health disorders and treatment. One in five youth reported moderate or severe symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, which has not been measured before in this survey. Students with serious thoughts of suicide declined from 6.2% in 2021 to 4.6% in 2024. Students who attempted suicide in the past year also declined from 3.6% in 2021 to 2.7% in 2024. The majority of teens with both a major depressive episode and substance use disorder received treatment in that time frame. These trends highlight how, in recent years, mental health has been prioritized in education due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student well-being. However, education leaders assert that available school-based mental health services are not enough to meet the needs of students, and they continue to advocate for funding.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence: Are More ACEs Always Worse? Exploring Nonlinear Associations with Youth Behavior
Throughout existing literature, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are linked with an increased risk of poor developmental outcomes, including mental health disorders and the likelihood of incarceration. Historically, research has suggested that with each additional number of ACEs, the risk of negative outcomes increases. The current study examined the nature of the relationship between ACEs and outcomes, and whether it differs for boys and girls. Utilizing data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, researchers found that ACEs were significantly correlated with continued justice system involvement. The relationship is non-linear; the risk of rearrest increases with each additional ACE, but it levels off or declines with higher amounts of ACEs. The pattern is the same for readjudication, and both associations did not differ significantly by sex. The findings offer a deeper understanding of the relationship between trauma in childhood and later life outcomes.
Policy
The 74 Million: States Create Trust Funds to Bolster Child Care and Early Childhood Education
Some states have created trust funds to support child care and education in the absence of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan, which was created during the pandemic. New Mexico was the first to enact this type of program in 2022. The state’s existing Land Grant Permanent Fund collects money from oil and gas development. With the trust fund, a portion of the money has been used for education, including making child care free for most families in the state. Several other states have since followed suit; after a budget surplus in 2023 and 2025, lawmakers in Montana wanted to use extra funding that could contribute to state priorities in a financially stable way. They established their trust fund for child care grants and the state’s pilot preschool programs. While these trust fund programs have been beneficial, advocates assert that they should not be viewed as sufficient to meet the needs of children and their families.
K-12 Dive: Education Department Tells States to Seek Waivers from ESEA
The U.S. Department of Education has encouraged states to seek waivers from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) so states can spend money “free from bureaucratic red tape.” The waiver request is in the public feedback stage, and the goal is to allow states to spend flexibly, like they could with federal pandemic aid. Leaders of the Education Department believe that ESEA hinders states’ progress to improve their educational outcomes, and many families also want to see these changes for their children’s education. These new priorities include expanding school choice and supporting alternative school models. ESEA was created in 1965 to address inequity in education and improve the quality of schooling. Education and civil rights leaders are concerned that the adoption of waivers will impact students who are most in need and shift state priorities for improving education.
NPR: Mental Health Warnings on Social Media? Minnesota will Require Them Next Year
Starting in July 2026, Minnesotans using social media will receive a pop-up warning when they log on, asking users to acknowledge that social media can negatively impact their mental health. The message will be similar to a health warning used for products like tobacco and alcohol. Platforms must also include resources on their messages, such as information for using the Suicide and Crisis Hotline 988. Social media is linked to worse mental health, higher risk of an eating disorder, and body image issues for children and adolescents. Some lawmakers opposed the bill, citing concerns over free speech, and social media companies are also trying to block enforcement. Advocates believe that adding warning labels is a great start to protecting youth, but it is not the full solution to combating the negative effects of social media. Minnesota will be the first state to pass legislation requiring warning labels on social media platforms.
Around the Nation
Chalkbeat: Electric School Buses Give Students a Healthier Ride. The Break from Pollution Could Also Help Their Grades.
Schools in DeKalb, Atlanta, and Clayton, Georgia, are receiving funding to replace their diesel-fueled buses with electric ones. Out of 20,000 buses, currently 124 are electric. Funding for the new initiative came mostly through the Clean School Bus program at the Environmental Protection Agency. Research links clean buses to improved scores on standardized tests and higher attendance, perhaps because students were less likely to get sick or have asthma attacks, as diesel school buses can damage children’s lungs through air pollution. Educators also report that it is quieter on the new buses because children do not have to shout over the loud engine. The program has been on hold under the Trump administration, but funding for the Clean School Bus program is available. District leaders say that electric buses save on maintenance and fuel costs. Mothers and Others for Clean Air in Atlanta and other advocates are currently exploring additional opportunities for funding in order to scale electric and other anti-pollution technologies.
The 74: With Welding Tools and a Time Clock, How One New Mexico Teacher Is Giving HS Students a Leg Up on the Future
Valley High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is an engineering-themed magnet school with a classroom dedicated to welding. Students get a head start on apprenticeship hours through partnerships with local trade unions. They are paid $15 an hour to complete projects and, upon graduating, receive 18 months of credit towards completing a four-year apprenticeship. In 2018, a district court found that New Mexico was not meeting students’ right to a sufficient education, and that all students have a right to be set up for success in college and their careers. The program launched in the 2018-2019 school year for students across the district, with other programs including architecture, computer science, JROTC, engineering, and carpentry. The assistant principal who oversees the program shared that students in the program benefit greatly, building confidence to pursue careers or higher education having earned a paycheck, credits, and skills during high school.
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