Sánchez introduces bill to increase counselors in high-need schools

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif today introduced the Put School Counselors Where They Are Needed Act, a bill to put more counselors in high schools with high dropout rates.

“Schools with high dropout rates desperately need more counselors to provide the support and guidance at-risk students require,” said Congresswoman Sánchez. “Counselors can help identify early warning signs and intervene before students fall through the cracks. With the right resources, they can help prevent dropouts by offering emotional support, academic guidance and a path forward for students who may otherwise feel forgotten.”

The bill would authorize a limited four-year demonstration program, placing additional professional secondary school counselors in high schools with drop-out rates of 60 percent or more. These additional counselors will work intensively with students at risk of dropping out and collaborate with parents, teachers and others to develop a comprehensive plan to get these students on the track to graduate.

The American School Counselor Association and the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and other organizations recommend a ratio of one school counselor to 250 students and a lower ratio for counselors working primarily with students at risk. However, the average counselor-to-student ratio in America’s public schools is one to 376, a ratio that hardly allows for individual attention and intensive support. Even worse, in California’s public schools, that average ratio is a staggering 464 students per counselor.

The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.).

The bill is endorsed by the American School Counselor Association and the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Text of the legislation is available HERE.

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