Boston School Committee Examines Mental Health Gaps, Counselor Ratios in BPS Hearing

BOSTON — October 3, 2024 — Boston City Council committee examines school counselor caseloads and mental health gaps in BPS. The Committee on Education, chaired by Councillor Henry Santana, held a hearing Thursday on Docket 0197, convened at the initiative of Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, to scrutinize how Boston Public Schools deploys its roughly 160-to-1 student-to-counselor ratio — better than the union contract floor of 300 to one but unevenly distributed across schools. Mandy Savitz-Romer of the Harvard Graduate School of Education testified that BPS counselors remain "stuck in an outdated model of guidance counseling" and called for reduced caseloads, specialist coaches, and relief from administrative duties. Jody Fenn, a counselor at Boston Green Academy, reported that adding a second counselor three years ago cut individual counseling referrals from 150 to 89 students and lifted daily attendance to 89 percent. Dan Goldsberry testified virtually that only three of 25 Boston K-8 schools had licensed school counselors as of last summer, leaving more than 10,000 students without access. BPS Chief of Student Support Corey McCarthy acknowledged coming funding pressure as ESSER dollars expire, pledging a collaborative approach, while councillors framed the discussion as direct preparation for the fiscal-year 2026 budget cycle.