Arizona's Counselor-To-Student Ratio Is The Worst In The Country; What Counselors Want Lawmakers To Do About It

Published: Monday, May 13, 2019 - 12:18pm
Updated: Tuesday, May 14, 2019 - 7:22am
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Education funding remains at the center of the budget debate at the Arizona Capitol, and whether or not funding for more school counselors will be included in it is yet to be seen.

Arizona has the worst student-to-counselor ratio in the country, with 905 students to one counselor on average.

Gov. Doug Ducey has proposed new funding for counselors in his version of the budget.

Ducey also signed a law aimed at curbing teen suicides. Now, all school faculty — including counselors — must be trained in suicide prevention.

Janine Menard, board chair of the Arizona School Counselors Association and a counselor in the Isaac School District in central Phoenix, said Ducey's funding plan would only be a first step toward the state's need for more counselors.

She joined The Show to talk more about the budget.

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