WESLACO, Texas — Trustees told Superintendent Richard Rivera they want the district to prioritize counseling and mental-health staffing after board members reviewed counselor-to-student ratios and found wide disparities between campuses.

Trustee Jackie Sustaita presented compiled numbers showing several campuses operating with roughly one counselor for 300 students in many schools but with several lower-performing campuses having far worse ratios; she said Silva Elementary (identified in the board packet) had about 639 students per counselor and named other campuses with more than 450 or 550 students per counselor. Trustees said the distribution of counselors correlates with campus ratings and argued district resources should be concentrated where needs are greatest.

Board members discussed existing contracts, grant-funded mental-health partners and social workers but emphasized the difference between visiting or grant-funded consultants and a full-time campus counselor. Trustee Sustaita and Coach Cuellar urged the board to explore hiring three to four additional counselors as soon as possible, or at minimum to include positions in the spring budget planning.

Superintendent Rivera said cabinet and finance-committee members will review budget implications and possible timing; he acknowledged some counseling director duties are being covered temporarily and that administration will report back with options.

What’s next: The administration and finance committee will evaluate the costs and budget timing for additional counselors and report back to the board; trustees asked for prioritized campuses and potential funding sources.