Education Funding

Although limited, some state and federal educational funds can support school health services. Many SBHCs provide services–such as case management, teacher consultation, and youth development–for which they cannot bill insurance carriers, and educational funds can be a critical supplement to reimbursement revenues.

Schools can use existing funding to support school health services. For example, districts can choose to use a portion of their Title I-A, LEA Medi-Cal, or Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) dollars to support school health services. In addition, school districts can apply for competitive grant funding to enhance their current resources. Educators and others who support school health services should both seek new funding and urge decision-makers to direct existing funding to health services. See below for a list of education funds that can be used to pay for school health services.

  • Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) – California’s funding formula for determining the level of state funding to school districts to provide for their state-supported general and supplemental programs. School districts receive additional resources to meet the unique challenges that face certain targeted student groups (including low income students). These resources must be spent to increase or improve services for targeted students to achieve state and local priorities. See these factsheets for more information about leveraging LCFF to support school health services:

School districts can also bill four different Medi-Cal programs for some of the services that they provide.

  • School-Based Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (SMAA) – for time spent on the administration of Medi-Cal, which includes outreach and enrollment, as well as other services provided for Medi-Cal enrollees, such as translation and arranging transportation to and from providers.
  • LEA Billing – for specific services, primarily those provided as part of an Individualized Education Plan to students with special needs. These services may include assistance accessing services through the additional Targeted Case Management program. School nurses can bill through LEA Billing. Information on billable services by provider is here.
  • Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) – for any of the assessments/examinations/referrals that are part of CHDP program, if the school district is an approved CHDP provider. Information on becoming a CHDP provider is here.
  • Family PACT – for Family PACT services (reproductive health/sensitive services), if the school district is an approved Family PACT provider. Information on becoming a Family PACT provider is here.

To stay updated on school health funding opportunities, you can:

Federal Funding Guide for Social/Emotional Learning

The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools has developed this guide written by education and mental health policy experts highlighting federal education funding that could support school-based universal prevention and social emotional learning programs.

Additional Academically-Focused Opportunities

  • Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
  • 21st Century Community Learning Centers/Title IV-B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
  • After School Education and Safety Program
  • McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act
  • Foster Youth Services

Health- and Safety-Focused Opportunities