Board backs expanded college and career counseling; staff told to proceed with hires

Beverly Hills Unified School District officials presented a plan May 27 to expand college and career counseling at Beverly Hills High School and across the district, and the Board of Education gave staff direction to proceed with hiring additional counselors.

Dustin Seaman, a district staff presenter, told the board the proposal would split high‑school counseling into two teams (a 9–10 team and an 11–12 team), add a director to oversee TK–12 counseling, and reduce counselor caseloads so students receive more individualized attention. Seaman said the proposal arises from “the complexity of the college application process” and the system’s limited capacity to give one‑on‑one time when counselors are handling senior deadlines in the fall.

The nut of the recommendation is to add three full‑time counselors as the initial staffing increase and create a freshman transition team focused on orientation, early interventions and family outreach. Seaman said the change is intended to ensure freshmen and sophomores receive more consistent outreach and that juniors and seniors get more targeted, individualized college counseling and scholarship support.

Board members responded positively during discussion. Several trustees praised the plan as a way to keep students on track academically and to reduce the need for families to pay for private college counseling. Trustee comments emphasized earlier exposure for younger students and the value of a TK–12 counseling through‑line; one board member suggested starting some Naviance and career awareness work in middle school or earlier.

The board did not take a formal roll‑call vote on a specific contract at the May 27 meeting but the trustees gave clear direction for staff to proceed with recruitment and implementation, with a working target of adding three counselors this year and returning with final staffing and budget details. Multiple trustees said they would support more than three if funding and need supported it.

Seaman said the district will return with timelines and budgeted cost estimates and will staff the new director position to coordinate services across grade levels.

Board members asked that athletics‑related college pathways also be included in counseling recruitment and that counselors be able to develop relationships with college admission offices for athletic and non‑athletic recruitment.

The item drew repeated support from student board member Remy Javizad, who told trustees that more counselor access would reduce students’ need to purchase private counseling services. Several board members called the proposal “a game changer” for the district’s college preparedness work.

Trustees asked staff to proceed and return with a more detailed staffing and budget proposal for final action.