Nichols Legislation Would Provide Additional Counseling Support to High School Students

CHICAGO – To ensure that all students have the resources they need to be successful, state Rep. Cyril Nichols, D-Chicago, introduced legislation that would increase the amount of facetime that students have with their counselors.                                                                       

“School counselors are an essential part of ensuring all students have a successful academic career,” said Nichols. “Unfortunately, many schools do not have enough counselors to adequately provide their services to students. This legislation will ensure that no student is left behind when it comes to receiving counseling.”

Currently, Illinois school districts must have at least one counselor for every 250 students. In order to ensure that counselors have the time to properly help students, Nichols introduced House Bill 4208, which directs school districts to have at least one counselor for every 150 students. In addition, the bill requires that counselors meet at least once a month with each student to make sure that all students are getting the support they need.

“With the many difficulties that our students have had to face over the past year and a half, it is more important than ever that we are giving them the tools they need to succeed,” said Nichols. “Whether through schools employing additional counselors or through other means, I am committed to ensuring our education system has the necessary resources in place for our students to help them achieve their academic and extracurricular goals.”