Minnesota kids’ mental health at risk as federal surge drags on

School counselors and social workers strive to maintain touchpoints: ‘There is not a single student who is not impacted by this.’

By: Andy Steiner

Outlets: MinnPost

Published: February 5, 2026

Words: 1,070

Last Updated: 1 month, 1 week ago

Body Text Preview

Each weekday morning, students in St. Paul Public Schools gather with their classmates for a daily meeting. It’s a critical touchpoint for mental well-being, said Juli Montgomery-Riess, the district’s lead middle school counselor. So when district leaders decided to offer an online option for families threatened by Operation Metro Surge, they made sure that online learners could still participate.

“There is the uncertainty of what is happening in the community,” Montgomery-Riess said. “But there …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us