Over $35 million awarded to 181 school districts for Oklahoma School Counselor Corps

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July 1, 2021

By News Director Jared Atha

To help Oklahoma schools meet the needs of children in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oklahoma State Department of Education is awarding grants to 181 school districts across the state, including local schools in western Oklahoma, to hire school counselors and school-based mental health professionals. OSDE is using $35.7 million in federal relief to fund the grant program called the Oklahoma School Counselor Corps.

According to a press release from the OSDE, Oklahoma’s current student-to-school counselor ratio is 411-to-1, but the American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 250-to-1.

Districts applied for Oklahoma School Counselor Corps grants to fund approximately 50% of the cost of the salary and benefits of qualified positions. In the application, districts were able to specify exact needs for school counselors, licensed school-based mental health professionals, social workers, recreational therapists and/or contract for eligible positions or services. The grant will fund the positions for three years or through the 2023-24 school year.

A total of 181 districts are receiving the grants, including Sentinel, Hydro-Eakly, and Carnegie receiving $96,000 each, and Taloga receiving $186,000.

Schools have requested 222 school counselors, 36 licensed social workers, 54 licensed mental health professionals, four recreational therapists and 42 contracted services. The OSDE will hire five regional positions to support the Oklahoma School Counselor Corps with training and professional development. The Counselor Corps is the largest initiative since the OSDE launched the recovery plan in May with online resources to support schools and communities as it determines the best uses of federal relief funds.