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District plans to rebrand Guidance as Student Services to centralize counseling, nursing and behavioral supports
Summary
District curriculum staff proposed transitioning the Guidance department to a Student Services model to coordinate counselors, nurses, social workers and psychologists under a comprehensive framework informed by ASCA standards.
Lockport Township High School District 205 curriculum leaders told the board they intend to reconfigure the Guidance department into a Student Services model to broaden and centralize support services for students across both campuses.
A curriculum report described the change as a "recalibration" to align the district with a research-based, comprehensive counseling framework. The presenter said they recently attended the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) national conference with district counselors and concluded the district should adopt a student-services structure that includes counselors, nurses, school social workers and school psychologists.
"We need to make sure that we have a comprehensive counseling program in order to support all students and all learners here at Lockport Township High School," the curriculum presenter said. The plan will examine staffing, signage, access, meeting structures and how students are routed to services.
Board members asked how the change will interact with other programs, including Wilco (a regional career/technical partnership). The curriculum presenter and other administrators noted the district already has dual-credit coursework (for example with Lewis University) that provides introductory social-work and psychology classes for students interested in those careers. Officials said they will look for ways to expand access to relevant programming and to provide college-credit opportunities where feasible.
Administrators said the change is an operational realignment rather than a board-policy shift and that the district will provide updates during the year as signage, structure and communications are adjusted. The district intends to make the department name and access clearer to families and students and to coordinate support services across buildings.
