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Counseling director urges board to fund dedicated post‑secondary counselor amid heavy caseloads
Summary
The district’s counseling lead told the O'Fallon Township board that seven counselors carry case loads averaging about 350 students and proposed creating a dedicated post‑secondary counselor to expand college and career planning, FAFSA support and employer/college engagement.
The O'Fallon Township High School District 203 counseling lead told the board the counseling office is supporting a wide range of academic and post‑secondary work while carrying large individual case loads and asked the board to consider a dedicated post‑secondary counselor.
The presenter described the counseling team as seven counselors assigned by alpha and specialty areas, each with case loads ranging from about 240 to 430 students and an overall case average of about 350. She outlined programming the office runs or coordinates — academic planning, course selection, Illinois State Scholar processing, on‑site admissions, Pathful career assessments (secured for three years via Project Climb), Saturday Scholars, medical explorers and extensive CAVC coordination.
Noting improved measures in some areas, the presenter said the workload limits the counseling office’s ability to expand post‑secondary planning and FAFSA/financial‑aid work. She said a dedicated post‑secondary counselor would expand student access to admissions and financial‑aid help, increase structured workshops and allow counselors to focus more on graduation monitoring and at‑risk students. "I am their biggest cheerleader and advocate," the presenter told the board, summarizing the office’s commitment while flagging capacity limits.
Board members asked about internships and whether an intern could shoulder the work; the counseling presenter and trustees noted internships typically require supervision and would not substitute for a specialized, experienced post‑secondary counselor. Trustees voiced support for the concept and asked staff to return with personnel options and cost implications.
The presentation also included program metrics and examples: the district reported doubling participating colleges at its on‑site admissions fair (from three to six) and said roughly 75% of students self‑report wanting to attend a two‑ or four‑year college. Administrators recommended continuing to explore staffing models to build a more comprehensive counseling framework.
