Federal judges have forced a pause and ordered project‑by‑project reviews after the Education Department moved in April to terminate nearly 140 school mental‑health grants, saying many projects could keep funding past Dec. 31 while the department reconsiders its terminations. Judge Kymberly Evanson found the department violated federal law by applying new, unpublished priorities to cancel active competitive grants without individualized explanations. The litigation was brought by 16 states; the court’s rulings require the Education Department to make new determinations for each grantee by an administrative deadline. Grantees include school districts, universities and state education agencies that had used the five‑year awards to train school‑based mental‑health professionals. Why it matters: the rulings preserve funding for mental‑health pipelines that feed school counselors and clinicians — programs integral to K‑12 student support and to teacher recruitment strategies. Districts and higher‑education partners remain on edge pending final agency decisions.