Put School Counselors Where They’re Needed Act

Bill Number

H.R. 3567

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Education

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-05-21: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Last Updated

2025-07-21T19:44:15Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This legislation, titled the "Put School Counselors Where They're Needed Act," aims to reduce high school dropout rates by funding additional counselors in underperforming secondary schools that serve low-income students. It creates a temporary demonstration project to test the effectiveness of targeted counseling support in these schools.

Key Provisions

• Findings: The bill outlines statistics on national dropout rates (e.g., 86.5% overall graduation rate, with lower rates for students with limited English proficiency, disabilities, Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native students) and emphasizes the role of professional school counselors in helping students navigate academic, social, and career challenges. It notes high student-to-counselor ratios (average 376:1) and recommends a lower ratio, ideally 250:1, especially for at-risk students.

• Demonstration Project:
• The U.S. Department of Education will award competitive grants to at least 10 secondary schools receiving Title I funds (federal aid for schools with high numbers of low-income students) that have a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate of 60% or lower.
• Grants last 4 years and can fund:
• Hiring additional licensed school counselors (master's degree or equivalent required).
• Resources like professional development, travel for home visits, tutoring, books, and materials.
• Overhead costs.
• Counselors focus on identifying at-risk students (ideally before 9th grade) and providing services such as individual graduation plans, course placement, supplemental tutoring, and meetings with students, teachers, parents, and others (e.g., mentors or employers). Services can extend beyond the standard graduation timeline if needed.
• A "sense of Congress" encourages one additional counselor per 250 at-risk students.
• Funds must supplement (add to) existing non-federal resources, not replace them; new counselors are in addition to current staff.

• Renewal of Grants:
• Schools showing "adequate improvement" (a 10% or greater increase in the four-year graduation rate, or a projection of such) can receive up to two more 4-year grants.
• The third grant phases out federal funding, requiring the school to increase non-federal contributions each year.

• Selection Process: The first five schools must come from different states to ensure geographic diversity.

• Definition of Regular High School Diploma: Refers to the standard state diploma aligned with state standards (not GEDs or certificates of attendance). For students with significant cognitive disabilities (up to 1% of total students), an alternate diploma under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act counts as a regular diploma.

• Funding: Authorizes $5 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2029.

• Technical Amendments: Adds the new subpart to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and updates the law's table of contents.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill amends Part D of Title I of the ESEA (which focuses on school improvement and support for disadvantaged students) by adding a new Subpart 4. It introduces a targeted demonstration project not previously in the law, emphasizing counselor hiring in low-graduation Title I schools. It excludes this subpart from certain existing ESEA funding restrictions to allow its implementation.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: The Department of Education will manage grant competitions, monitoring, and evaluations, potentially increasing administrative workload but providing data on counselor effectiveness to inform future policies.
• Citizens: At-risk high school students (especially low-income, minority, English learners, and those with disabilities) in participating schools may receive more personalized support, leading to higher graduation rates and better preparation for college or work. Schools could see reduced dropouts, benefiting communities with high poverty.
• International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic education.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Students: Primarily at-risk secondary students in Title I schools with low graduation rates, including underserved groups like racial minorities, English learners, and those with disabilities.
• Schools and Educators: Title I secondary schools, school counselors, teachers, and support staff who gain resources and must collaborate on student plans.
• Parents and Families: Involved through required meetings and home visits, potentially improving family-school engagement.
• Professional Organizations: Groups like the American School Counselor Association benefit from alignment with recommended ratios.
• Federal Government: The Department of Education as the implementing agency.
• State and Local Governments: Schools in participating states must match funds in later grant phases and report graduation data.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Builds on ESEA's framework for equity in education, ensuring funds supplement existing resources to avoid displacing state/local efforts. The 1% cap on alternate diplomas for students with disabilities aligns with federal special education rules, promoting inclusion without overcounting graduates.
• Constitutional: Supports equal protection under the 14th Amendment by targeting aid to disadvantaged schools, without raising federalism concerns as it uses existing Title I mechanisms.
• Political: As a demonstration project, it allows testing without broad mandates, potentially appealing across parties by addressing dropout disparities. Introduced by a bipartisan group of representatives, it highlights focus on educational access but is limited in scale (only 10 schools initially) and funding, which may limit nationwide influence.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38]

Cosponsors (7)

Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6], Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9]

Recent Actions

• 2025-05-21: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
• 2025-05-21: Introduced in House
• 2025-05-21: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Put School Counselors Where They’re Needed Act — issued 2025-05-21 — PDF (9 pages)