Kennett presents K-12 counseling plan, requests one elementary counselor amid high caseloads
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Summary
District staff presented an ASCA-aligned comprehensive K-12 school counseling plan that targets 80% practice alignment by 2029, cites large counselor caseloads (Greenwood ~564:1), and requests one 1.0 FTE elementary counselor for 2026-27 (to be funded by reallocation if the budget allows).
Kennett Consolidated School District on Feb. 2 brought a districtwide K-12 comprehensive school counseling plan before the Curriculum Committee, presenting data that staff said show significant counselor caseload imbalances and measurable targets for improving program fidelity and consistency.
Cassandra Jones and school-counseling colleagues described the plan as ASCA-aligned and grounded in local perception and outcome data. "We're every student every day, no matter what, to create a better tomorrow," one presenter said when outlining the vision. The presentation noted the district currently implements roughly 24% of the ASCA best practices consistently across sites and set a three-year goal to reach 80% alignment.
Staffing ask and rationale: presenters highlighted counselor-to-student ratios well above ASCA recommendations at some elementary sites; Greenwood Elementary was cited at about 564 students per counselor. Jones said the plan proposes hiring one elementary school counselor (1.0 FTE) in 2026-27, split between Greenwood and New Garden, with the district planning to reallocate an existing position to fill that role if the budget allows. "Having a caseload of 564 is just not feasible for 1 school counselor," Jones told the committee.
Program components and accountability: the plan includes an advisory council, a multi-year professional-development schedule, a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) alignment for counseling, universal social-emotional screeners (DESA), and school-level achievement-gap plans tied to state assessments. The Chester County Intermediate Unit will assist with perception-data collection and annual monitoring.
Board follow-up: committee members asked for an executive-summary presentation to the full board prior to formal approval and pressed staff to show how counseling staffing plans will be reconciled with the district's budget constraints. Presenters agreed to return with a brief summary and periodic implementation updates if the board approves staffing increases.
The Curriculum Committee did not vote to approve the plan for final adoption on Feb. 2; staff will post the plan on the district website for a 28-day public comment period and is expected to return for board consideration in March.