Pubdate: Sat, 9 Dec 2006 Source: Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA) Copyright: 2006 The Press-Enterprise Company Contact: http://www.pe.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/830 Author: Jamie Ayala, The Press-Enterprise SCHOOLS TO GUIDE PUPILS MORE With the New Hires, Some Campuses ADD Counselors to Deter Drugs, Violence. SAN JACINTO - Sometimes, San Jacinto students did not know their school counselors, much less their purpose. The district hopes to improve counseling services with Department of Education funds, allowing the district to hire more counselors, add programs and focus on individual students. "Counseling was seen as 'for crisis,' but now it's defined and at the end of the year there are outcomes," said Diane Perez, director of student support. Last year, the district received a $351,000 three-year, elementary-school counseling grant through the Department of Education Safe and Drug-Free Schools Division. The district matched the counseling funding with in-kind contributions valued at $358,100. It hired three new counselors for its six elementary schools this year and is seeking a fourth one for the district office. Last year, the district could only afford to hire one for those schools. Each counselor is assigned two schools. Despite the split, Edgar Sanchez, who is new at Estudillo and Hyatt elementary schools, said counselors are serving more students. The student-to-elementary school counselor ratio last year was 4,000 to 1. It is now 1,394 to 1. "Some students face many of the same issues that a middle or high school student does, such as grief and divorce," said Sanchez, who, like the other two counselors, spends two days at each school and dedicates Fridays to meeting with families. "If we can help them out at an earlier age, we can hopefully keep them on the right path." With the additional staffing, elementary schools have also been able to add guidance lessons on violence and drug prevention, self-esteem and conflict resolution. Pupils in third, fourth and fifth grades are targeted this year, according to the district plan. This year, the district also took advantage of $200 million in counseling funding approved by Gov. Schwarzenegger in the summer. The funds, approved as Assembly Bill 1802, were allocated to hire 3,000 new middle school and high school counselors statewide. Participating districts must hold yearly counseling meetings with every student and family in seventh through 12th grades. Districts receive about $80 per enrolled student in those grades. The school board is expected to approve the implementation of the counseling plan Tuesday. The emphasis on counseling is welcome, said Garry Chalmers, a counselor at San Jacinto High School. "It's been an uphill battle, and all of a sudden there is more value on what we do," he said. San Jacinto hired a counselor at each of its two middle schools and an additional counselor at the high school. Requirements of AB 1802 help boost awareness and include parents, said Christine Gianunzio, an assistant principal for the middle schools. The recent hires and a filling of vacancies increased counselors at the high school from four to six. Counselors say the increase makes their workload manageable. "Before, it was about 700-800 students per counselor and it was just a case of keeping our head above water," Chalmers said. The ratio today is about 350 students per counselor, according to student support services. In addition to academic guidance, Chalmers said counselors are able to dedicate time to social and emotional counseling, which was rarely possible before. Meanwhile, new counselors Cheryl Love and Marilyn Hein are reviving the school's career center, offering daily services such as career exploration, help with college applications and guest speakers. They are organizing a career fair for the spring. [sidebar] FOCUS ON INDIVIDUALS Student-to-counselor ratios: Recommended: 250 to 1 National average: 488 to 1 California average: 906 to 1 In San Jacinto schools, the ratio is 1,394 to 1 in elementary schools, 520 to 1 in middle schools and 350 to 1 in high schools. Sources: American School Counselor Association, California Department of Education, San Jacinto Unified School District - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake