1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; recommending school counselor ratios; establishing school 
1.3 	counselor duties;amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 121A.39.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 121A.39, is amended to read:
1.6 	121A.39 SCHOOL COUNSELORS.
1.7 	(a) A school district is strongly encouraged to have an adequate student-to-counselor 
1.8 	ratio for its students beginning in the 2015-2016 school year and later. The legislature 
1.9 	encourages school districts to have the following ratios: one school counselor for every 250 
1.10 	children in prekindergarten or preschool programs and students in kindergarten through 
1.11 	grade 12. When school counselor caseloads exceed the recommended ratios, school 
1.12 	administrators are encouraged to collaborate with school counselors to prioritize needs, 
1.13 	identify strategies that will have the largest impact, and engage other educators in the delivery 
1.14 	of the counseling curriculum.
1.15 	(b) A school counselor shall assist a student in meeting the requirements for high school 
1.16 	graduation, college and career exploration, and selection, college affordability planning, 
1.17 	and successful transitions into postsecondary education or training. must provide preventive 
1.18 	and developmental school counseling programs to children in prekindergarten or preschool 
1.19 	programs and students in kindergarten through grade 12 in order to help them enhance their 
1.20 	academic, social and emotional, and postsecondary and career development as part of the 
1.21 	multitiered systems of support. A school counselor must provide services to students as part 
1.22 	of a multitiered systems of support framework under section 121A.201, including:
2.1 	(1) assisting students with academic planning and goal setting;
2.2 	(2) delivering school counseling classroom instruction in the areas of academic, social 
2.3 	and emotional, and postsecondary and career development. A school counselor must provide 
2.4 	instruction that proactively enhances awareness of mental health and promotes positive and 
2.5 	healthy behaviors;
2.6 	(3) providing short-term individual and small group counseling to students and crisis 
2.7 	intervention focused on mental health or situational concerns such as grief or other difficult 
2.8 	transitions;
2.9 	(4) making referrals to appropriate school and community resources for long-term support 
2.10 	for mental health issues, including suicidal ideation, violence, abuse, and depression, to 
2.11 	assist in removing barriers to learning;
2.12 	(5) consulting and collaborating with families, teachers, administrators, school staff, 
2.13 	and community members to support and advocate for the achievement and success of all 
2.14 	students;
2.15 	(6) collecting and analyzing school and student data to identify areas of success, needs, 
2.16 	or challenges, and establishing goals to close gaps in achievement, opportunity, and 
2.17 	information; and
2.18 	(7) acting as a systems change agent to create an environment promoting and supporting 
2.19 	student success in areas such as enrollment patterns, equity, and access.
2.20 	(c) A school district is encouraged to ensure 80 percent of a school counselor's time is 
2.21 	spent providing direct services to students in accordance with paragraph (b).
2.22 	(d) A school counselor must hold an appropriate license issued by the Professional 
2.23 	Educator Licensing and Standards Board, in accordance with chapter 122A.

2.24 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2024.