Conewago Valley subcommittee agrees to rewrite counselor confidentiality policy after weeks of debate

The Conewago Valley School District policy subcommittee agreed Dec. 11 to direct staff to revise policy 207 — which governs how staff handle confidential information shared by students with school counselors — changing the operative verb from “may” to “shall” while drafting an exception to protect student safety in abuse situations.

The change follows conflicting legal and administrative advice and several hours of debate about counselor discretion, parental rights and mandated-reporting obligations. Attorney Lee Dalton had previously advised keeping the softer “may” to preserve counselors’ professional discretion and avoid chilling students from seeking help; several board members argued parents should be notified unless a student’s physical safety would be put at risk.

Lee Dalton, an attorney who reviewed Policy 207, recommended keeping “may,” arguing that “the May allows for the professional discretion of school counselors who are more informed on the specific circumstances surrounding a disclosure made by a student” and warning that switching to “shall” could chill students’ willingness to use counseling services. Dalton also noted implementation challenges, including who would determine when a student’s health or welfare is “in jeopardy.”

Board members pushed back. Board member Bill said parents “have god given right and authority and responsibility for their children” and expressed concern that broad counselor discretion could allow information to be withheld from parents inappropriately. Board member Lindsay urged careful wording so the district is not seen as excluding parents except in narrowly defined abuse situations.

Dr. Perry, the district superintendent, summarized the legal and administrative perspectives during the discussion and said staff would draft new language. The subcommittee reached a working consensus to change the policy wording to “shall” and to add clarifying language to preserve discretion where sharing information would clearly endanger the student; the revised draft will be returned to the subcommittee for review.

The subcommittee did not adopt a final text at the meeting. Dr. Perry said staff will prepare updated language for a future meeting and consult legal counsel as needed before the board considers a final revision.

Why it matters: The change would move the district from a permissive provision that lets counselors decide whether to notify parents, to a requirement to notify parents except in defined safety-related exceptions. That affects counselor practice, parent–school communication, and how the district handles disclosures that may involve an alleged abuser within the home.

The subcommittee scheduled follow-up work on policy 207 at a future meeting; staff will circulate proposed revised language and the administrative committee’s recommendations before the board acts.