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.

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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