District outlines expanded high‑school counseling model, notes capacity gap versus ASCA recommendation

The district presented its high‑school counseling model and early outcomes on April 28, saying counselors now provide tiered support (universal, targeted small‑group and intensive individualized services), deliver advisory lessons, lead career and college planning and respond to crises.

Director of Student Health, Safety and Wellness Karen (announced) told the board the model began planning in 2024 with role definitions and training; in 2025–26 the district added a fourth high‑school counselor. The model aligns with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards and Minnesota’s social‑emotional learning framework and operates within a Multi‑Tiered System of Support (MTSS) using data to identify students for tier‑2 and tier‑3 interventions.

Administrators said counselors log visits and that counselors are working to contact all freshmen and seniors first, with a goal to provide at least brief one‑on‑one contacts with every student. The district cited an ASCA recommendation of 250 students per counselor and said surrounding districts remain above that target; Lakeville’s current ratio remains higher than recommended.

Board members asked for more district‑specific before‑and‑after data to demonstrate the counseling model’s effect on outcomes such as attendance, behavior incidents and graduation, and discussed operational questions including appointment scheduling, backlog, counselor logging and whether the state funding source is ongoing. Administration said much funding came from a new state 'student support' revenue stream that has thus far been ongoing but cautioned that future legislative budgets could change funding availability.

Administrators also proposed extending the counseling model to middle schools to provide earlier intervention and reduce escalations at the high‑school level. No immediate hiring decisions were made; administrators said they will continue to refine data collection to better quantify counselor impact.