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    PRESS RELEASE

    Shapiro-Davis Administration Investments Helping Expand Student Mental Health Services at Lincoln Charter School

    Since 2022, Lincoln Charter School has received more than $330,000 in Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) School Safety and Mental Health grants, with the majority of the funding strengthening mental health services for students and staff.

     

    The Shapiro-Davis Administration’s investments are delivering positive outcomes — new Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) data shows improved student well-being, with 76 percent of students reporting their overall mental health is good and 83 percent of students feeling safe at school.

    October 29, 2026

    York, PA — The Shapiro-Davis Administration is investing in safer schools and stronger mental health supports for students, including more than $330,000 in grants to Lincoln Charter School since 2022. 

    Today, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) visited the school to hear how the funding is expanding mental health services and helping students and staff feel safe and supported.

    “It’s great to see first-hand how our funding is making a real difference for students and staff here at Lincoln Charter School,” said Heather Masshardt, Deputy Director of School Safety at PCCD. “We are committed to providing Pennsylvania schools with the tools and support they need to strengthen well-being and keep students and staff safe. Statewide we’re seeing real, positive trends of improved mental health and feelings of safety— a sign that our continued state investments are making an impact.” 

    Since 2022, Lincoln Charter School has received more than $330,000 in PCCD School Safety and Mental Health funding. The school has dedicated the majority of the funding to mental health initiatives, including counselors, student mental health services through the nonprofit Youth Advocate Program, a calm-down room, trauma-informed training for staff, and a mental health awareness project.

    “The resources provided by PCCD have been transformative for Lincoln Charter School,” said Shante' Smith-Miller, Chief Administrative Officer at Lincoln Charter School. “From trauma-informed training for our team to hands-on support for our students, this funding empowers us to prioritize total well-being throughout the entire school. We are here to educate the whole child and in doing so there are times when extra supports are necessary to ensure that every student feels safe, supported, and ready to learn.”

    Lincoln Charter School was also one of 1,064 schools across the Commonwealth who participated in the most recent administration of the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), a biennial, anonymous, and voluntary survey of Pennsylvania students in grades 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 that gathers age-appropriate insights on youth behavior, attitudes, knowledge related to substance use and violence, and other risk and protective factors impacting safety and well-being.

    Statewide data from the 2025 PAYS show that mental health concerns, depression, and suicide‑risk indicators are all declining among the Commonwealth’s youth—a sign that investments by the Shapiro-Davis Administration in youth mental health and school safety are delivering positive outcomes.

    Statewide 2025 PAYS results show that 76 percent of participating students reported their overall mental health is good, an increase from 71 percent in 2023; suicide-risk indicators — including seriously considering suicide, making a plan, and attempts — have also fallen steadily since 2021. Additionally, 83 percent of students report feeling safe at school, an increase from 78 percent in 2023.

    In York County, specifically, the 2025 PAYS data shows the need for continued investments in student mental health support as more than one‑third of students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 reported they felt sad or depressed most days in the past year.

    Since taking office, the Shapiro-Davis Administration has made closing security gaps and expanding mental health resources for students a top priority, investing more than $400 million in over 1,100 public and private K–12 schools. Over the last three years, more than $130 million of this funding has been used by public schools to increase mental health support for students.

    In August, PCCD announced more than $140 million in funding — the largest amount of state funding ever provided for School Safety, Security, and Mental Health grants in a single year — to enhance school safety, security, and mental health supports across Pennsylvania’s public and nonpublic schools.

    To learn more about PAYS and the PCCD’s efforts to make Pennsylvania’s schools safer, visit the PCCD website.

    Media Contacts

    Ali Sindlinger

    Communications Director
    Commission on Crime and Delinquency Media