Reminder: Get Kids Ahead Initiative Funding Opportunity

Dear District Administrators and Directors of Pupil Services, Student Services, and Special Education,

I want to share some important updates about the Get Kids Ahead (GKA) Initiative mental health funding opportunity. Thank you for those of you who have already opted in by completing the simple attestation on DOA’s portal. For those who have not yet opted in, this is a reminder of the fast-approaching April 1, 2022, deadline. To access the funding, public school districts and independent charter schools will need to opt into the program and attest that the funds will be used for allowable purposes by April 1, 2022. School personnel may opt in via the attestation portal. To confirm that your district has opted in, see this most current list, updated on March 22. If your district or school is on the list, you do not need to do anything further. If you are not on the list, we did not have your attestation at the time the above list was pulled.

The GKA Initiative funding opportunity is available to all public and independent charter schools in Wisconsin to help build Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems (CSMHS). CSMHS provide a full continuum of services and supports that promote wellbeing in all staff and students. See the FAQ document and GKA Initiative webpage that cover the common questions we are receiving.

The department recently added additional information about reporting and funding documentation on its GKA Initiative webpage. Recipients of GKA dollars should code the funds as source 780 revenue. Those that opt in to receive the funding will not be required to submit a budget or plan to access the funding. At the end of each school year, districts and independent charter schools that receive the GKA funds will be required to provide a brief narrative description of how they spent the GKA Initiative funds to improve or expand mental health-related educational programming, training, staff support, or assistance for students and families. If GKA funds have not yet been encumbered at the time of reporting, recipients will be asked to provide a brief narrative description of how they plan to use the funds. Those districts and independent charter schools who also receive the state School Based Mental Health Services Grant (SBMH) will submit one end-of-year report that satisfies the reporting requirements for both the GKA and the SBMH funding sources. The end-of-year report will include a brief narrative and a list of mental health system activities checkboxes.

Thank you for your continued efforts to prioritize mental health and wellbeing of students and staff. If you have questions about the portal or this program, please contact getmhs@dpi.wi.gov.

Sincerely,