Weber School District highlights counseling expansion, pilots YouScience for career planning

Student Services Director Jennifer (Jen) Warren updated the Weber School District Board on the district’s k‑12 counseling programs, reporting staffing and early outcomes and describing a pilot of YouScience to support individualized college and career readiness planning (PCCR).

Warren said the district now has full‑time elementary counselors across its elementary schools and 55 secondary counselors supporting 17 secondary schools. She highlighted Panorama student‑voice data as evidence of progress, saying sense of belonging in secondary schools has risen about 5% in two years and that multiple elementary Panorama indicators are “in the green.”

Warren described components of the district’s PCCR work: starting individualized planning in seventh grade, piloting YouScience in partnership with CTE, and aiming for broad participation. "The target is absolutely 100% of students and 100% of parents participating in PCCR," Warren said, while also noting the district is still piloting formats and training counselors to use new tools.

She emphasized the district’s approach to counseling as prevention and instruction: elementary counselors deliver classroom‑based, tier‑1 collaborative instruction; secondary counselors focus on career exploration and postsecondary planning. Warren said the district will train counselors and administrators over the summer and continue strategic planning to align PCCR from grades 7 through 12.

Board members thanked Warren for the update; there was no public comment opposing the approach. Warren noted next steps include counselor training for the YouScience pilot and continued work to finalize alignment and outreach to families.