School-based Mental Health Investment | MOHELA Penalized for Loan Servicing Failures | EPA: No More Lead Pipes in Schools

Like the school year, there are ebbs and flows to the Whiteboard Advisors’ team calendar. Last week was definitely a “flow” week, with colleagues on the ground at five events in four states.

Whiteboard co-founder Anna Edwards and a team of K-12 colleagues participated in the Council of the Great City Schools’ (CGCS) Fall Conference in Dallas, Texas.

In Colorado, Whiteboard’s Alison Griffin and Carlos Ignacio attended the inaugural Human Potential Summit in Denver, which featured long-time W/A friends Maria Flynn , CEO of Jobs for the Future (JFF), Michael Horn , and many others.

Still in Colorado, Alison also spearheaded a Whiteboard Advisors collaboration with Apprenticeships for America and “Apprentice Nation” author Ryan Craig , convening some of the state’s most notable apprenticeship intermediaries and their employer partners. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis offered remarks, celebrating the progress of apprenticeship growth in the state over the last decade.

In Missouri, Thomas Rodgers was on the ground in Kansas City for the Communications Network’s (COMNET) annual conference .

And we wrap up the week tonight in Alabama, with the Twilight Supper in Birmingham, an annual “must attend” dinner hosted by Jones Valley Teaching Farm , which brings food, farming, and culinary arts education to students in the state.

Look out for insights and reflections from these and other fall events in the weeks to come.

In the meantime, we hope that you enjoyed a well-deserved and restful weekend!

In this week’s edition of Notes, we round up the “Top 5 Articles of the Week.”

We’re also covering:

• ED Cracks Down on MOHELA for Loan Servicing Failures
• Biden Administration Boosts School Mental Health Services with $70M Investment
• Four-day School Weeks May Worsen Teacher Turnover
• EPA Final Rule Will Require Replacement of Lead Pipes in Schools Over the Next Decade

ED Cracks Down on MOHELA for Loan Servicing Failures

The Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri (MOHELA), one of the largest federal student loan servicers, will face penalties from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for failing to adequately perform its contractual servicing obligations—and harming borrowers in the process.

ED is accusing MOHELA of failing to process more than 460,000 applications for income-driven repayment plans, which could have helped borrowers access more affordable monthly student loan payments. The department also said that MOHELA continued applying interest to borrowers’ accounts, incorrectly marked some borrowers for negative credit reporting, and prolonged processing forgiveness for borrowers who qualified.

What’s next: ED will stop assigning new borrower accounts to MOHELA until it can demonstrate that it can meet its contractual obligations, which may result in financial losses for the servicer. ED will also require MOHELA to meet weekly with the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), who will evaluate the servicer’s performance.

Finally, ED requested MOHELA submit a plan for how it will correct its servicing issues within 10 business days of the original notice, delivered on Tuesday this week.

Repeat offender: This is the second penalty MOHELA has faced from ED this year, and one of a handful of recent controversies.

• In October 2023, MOHELA was slapped with a $7.2 million fine by ED for failing to send billing statements on time to 2.5 million borrowers, whose payments had just resumed after the COVID-era repayment pause and forbearance. This error resulted in 800,000 borrowers being wrongfully marked delinquent. [CNBC]
• In December 2023, a pair of borrowers sued MOHELA for mishandling the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which promises debt forgiveness to borrowers who entered public service fields (i.e., public education, law enforcement, public health) and made 120 on-time monthly payments for 10 years. The plaintiffs claim the servicer’s administrative failures resulted in them being forced to make extra loan payments. [The Washington Post, subscription model]
• In April, ED began transferring over 1 million borrowers from MOHELA to other servicers. This was requested by MOHELA, and FSA agreed that transferring these borrowers would improve their loan repayment experiences. [Forbes, subscription model]
• In July, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second-largest teachers union in the country, filed a lawsuit against MOHELA, accusing the servicer of violating consumer protections. AFT alleged that MOHELA overcharged borrowers and unfairly “deflected ” borrowers who needed help with loans from call centers to insufficient self-help options. [Higher Ed Dive]

Top 5 “What We’re Reading” Articles of the Week

Want to receive our daily summary of education industry and policy news? Sign up for What We’re Reading .

1. DC tech company uses virtual reality to help neurodiverse people [DC News Now]
2. Nevada Asked A.I. Which Students Need Help. The Answer Caused an Outcry. [The New York Times, subscription model]
3. Next-Generation Durable Skills Assessment [GettingSmart]
4. Community colleges focus on mental health supports [eCampus News]
5. Adult learners: 4 important ways to better support them [University Business]

Biden Administration Boosts School Mental Health Services with $70M Investment

The Biden administration announced Thursday a $70 million investment to expand school-based mental health services, focusing on underserved communities. The funds aim to help train and hire mental health professionals in schools across the country.

Why it matters: The initiative comes as student mental health challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and social media, remain at an all-time high.

• According to the World Health Organization, 14% of adolescents globally experience mental health conditions, yet many remain untreated. In the U.S., suicide is the third leading cause of death among young adults aged 15-29.

The big picture: This investment follows the $571 million already allocated through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) and builds on the administration's effort to double the number of school-based mental health professionals across the nation.

Zoom in: In Georgia, where Sec. Cardona announced the new funding, several school districts—including Gwinnett, Fulton, Bibb, and Muscogee—will benefit from the funding. Gwinnett County Public Schools, the state’s largest district, is receiving $19 million over five years for two mental health initiatives, including telehealth services and partnerships with Georgia universities to create a pipeline of school counselors, social workers, and psychologists. [The Atlanta Journal Constitution, subscription required]

By the numbers: The American School Counselor Association recommends one counselor per 250 students, but the national average is 385 students per counselor.

What's next: The $70 million will help train and hire an additional 4,000 mental health professionals across the country, strengthening the pipeline for future support, particularly in high-need schools.

Four-day School Weeks May Worsen Teacher Turnover

A new study suggests that four-day school weeks, aimed at improving teacher retention, might be backfiring.

Why it matters: Schools across the U.S. are adopting four-day schedules to attract teachers and save money, but findings from Oregon, Colorado, and other states reveal mixed outcomes for teachers and students alike [Education Week, subscription required]

By the numbers:

• The study of Oregon’s four-day school week found teacher turnover increased by 2 percentage points immediately after switching to a four-day week and by 4 percentage points five years later.
• The Keystone Policy Center’s report on Colorado noted higher turnover in districts that adopted four-day weeks, despite hopes to improve retention.
• A 2022 study across 12 states found schools using four-day schedules saw significant drops in math and English scores. However, schools maintaining more instructional time fared better.

The bottom line: While four-day school weeks may offer short-term flexibility and cost savings, they come with long-term challenges in teacher retention and student achievement. School leaders should carefully weigh these trade-offs before adopting the schedule.

EPA Final Rule Will Require Replacement of Lead Pipes in Schools Over the Next Decade

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule on October 8 requiring the replacement of lead pipes in schools within the next 10 years. These pipes, which contribute to lead contamination in drinking water, pose significant health risks , particularly to young children.

Why it matters: Lead exposure, especially in children, can cause long-term health issues, including cognitive delays, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and behavioral challenges. The EPA's new mandate aims to protect school-age children and infants from these risks by requiring water systems to address lead contamination. [Education Week, subscription required]

Key details:

• The rule will cost between $1.5 billion and $2 billion annually, with federal funding support through programs like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
• For each year the rule is in effect, the EPA estimates it will prevent ADHD in up to 2,600 children and protect the cognitive development of thousands more. [K-12 Dive]
• Schools and child care centers are required to have their water tested for lead within the next five years.

What’s next: Water systems across the country will prioritize schools in lead pipe removal projects, but the rule does not mandate schools to replace internal water fixtures, which are also sources of lead contamination.

The big picture: Lead contamination in water systems has been an ongoing issue, highlighted by crises like Flint, Michigan. Many school districts lack the resources to test for or remediate lead, despite widespread acknowledgment of the dangers.

Between the lines: While the new rule tackles lead service lines leading to schools, it doesn’t address lead-tainted water fountains and internal plumbing, leaving gaps in complete lead remediation.

Quick Takes

FAFSA Update: Beta 1 Completed, Beta 2 Begins

This week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) moved into the second phase of beta testing for the 2025-26 FAFSA form. According to Department officials, the testing is going smoothly, and errors and functionality issues are being resolved as they emerge.

• Catch up quick: The first round of beta testing involved six community-based organizations (CBOs). The CBOs selected by ED serve students from low-income backgrounds, first-generation college students, mixed citizenship status families, and students experiencing homelessness or incarceration. The students participating in the beta come from multiple states and comprise both high schoolers and college students.
• Beta 1 Results: More than 650 high school seniors successfully submitted a FAFSA. It is unclear how many students actually participated in this round, or how many students failed to complete a FAFSA, but according to the Department, 80% of all FAFSAs initiated were submitted. Nearly 600 colleges received a total of more than 6,200 processed FAFSAs.
• Now what? Beta 2 will involve 16 CBOs (half being colleges) and ED estimates more than 1,000 students to submit a FAFSA. ED still expects the FAFSA to be available to all students and contributors by December 1.
• Go deeper: Read more from the Chronicle of Higher Education ,

Report: Impact of Increased Funding for High-Performing Charter Schools

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute (Fordham) released a new report this week which detailed the impact of Ohio’s Quality Community School Support Fund (QCSSF), which grants supplemental per-pupil funding to charter schools in the state that provide high-quality educational services to economically disadvantaged students.

Key findings:

• Charter schools that received a QCSSF award in 2021-22 and 2022-23 had higher classroom spending per pupil (+$1,346/pupil), spent the funding on classroom activities (i.e., teachers) versus administration or other non-classroom functions (i.e., transportation, food service).
• Charter schools that received a QCSSF award also had higher teacher salaries (by over $8,000), lower teacher turnover (by about 25%), and nearly four fewer students per teacher compared to schools that did not qualify for the funding.
• The funding enabled charter schools to mitigate pandemic-era achievement and attendance declines. Student learning in math and ELA at charter schools that narrowly qualified for QCSSF was “substantially greater” than at schools that narrowly missed the threshold, with spring test scores 0.07-0.10 of a standard deviation higher. On average, schools that narrowly qualified for QCSSF had lower absence rates (by 1.63 percentage points) and lower rates of chronic absenteeism (by 5.48 percentage points).

Read the Report

Education Department Seeks Public Input on Expanding Civil Rights Data Collection

In the coming days, the U.S. Department of Education plans to release a request for comment on proposed updates to its Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) for the 2025-26 and 2027-28 school years, according to Politico (subscription model).

Since 1968, the CRDC has collected data on education and civil rights issues. The department wants to add data on school threat assessment teams, informal student removals, and students placed in private schools by districts—potentially tracking incidents of restraint or seclusion. This follows a recent executive order from President Joe Biden directing ED to provide guidance on active shooter drills, which has spurred interest in understanding how schools assess and manage threats.

People on the Move

• Jessica Todtman has been named Interim President of the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) after previously serving as Executive Vice President and COO.
• Podium Education welcomed Kim Caldbeck and John Filmore as CMO and COO, respectively. Caldbeck previously served as CMO of Coursera while recently served as President of Chegg’s Skills division.

Upcoming Events and Convenings

• Mainstay: Why AI? Using AI for Student Success: 101 , October 30 at 1 p.m. ET, Virtual
• Crescendo: Can We Trust the Transcript: Recognizing Student Potential through More Accurate and Fair Grading , October 22 from 1-2 p.m. ET
• EdWeb: Learning Loss vs. Disability: Navigating Special Education Identification in the Post-Pandemic Classroom , October 23 from 4-5 p.m. ET
• University Innovation Alliance: National Summit on Student Success Innovation , October 23-25, Tempe, AZ
• National College Attainment Network: The FAFSA Fiasco And Fall 2024 Postsecondary Enrollment , October 29 from 3-4 p.m. ET, Virtual
• Quality Matters: QM Connect Conference , November 3-6, Rosemont, IL Features a half-day AI Spotlight on November 6
• Competency-Based Education Network: CBExchange 2024 , November 11-14, Colorado Springs, CO
• Complete College America: All In: The 2024 CCA Annual Convening , November 18-20, Indianapolis, IN

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