Trustee Suzanne Kenoyer was the single concurring vote.
If approved, the reductions would have been part of cost savings in advance of JISD passing a 2025-26 Fiscal Year budget. The counselor reduction would have saved an estimated $664,172, according to agenda documents. As of the June 5 meeting, an estimated 2025-26 base budget showed a shortfall of $40.82 million before any additional cuts were made by the board.
What happened
Counselor reductions, recommended by administration, pull from the Texas Association of School Boards, or TASB, recommendation of counselor-to-student ratios. TASB's recommendation is to have one counselor per 350 students, not including counselors involved with at-risk students or college readiness. Nicole Taguinod, assistant superintendent of of employee and public relations, said following the TASB recommendation would also align counselor ratios at JISD middle and high school campuses.
"The reduction of counselors is not a recommendation to just reduce counselors, it aligns with those recommendations and guidance from TASB on the model and then considerations from the district," Taguinod said.
What the board is saying
Board President Monica Ryan said moving forward with TASB ratios would align with smaller campus sizes in the district.
"This is not a reflection on any single person who works at any single job. This is, unfortunately, the business, money portion of running a giant organization, which is you only have so much money to do so much stuff. If you lose 400 students out of your middle school ... well, you may not get as many counselors, assistant principals," Ryan said.
Board member José Macias Jr. said secondary school students in particular need continued support from counselors.
“How can we expect campuses to do better if we don’t provide the resources for them to do better? I will again reiterate the need to support our middle school students, and I also would say in high school we have similar issues ... reducing counselors would have an adverse effect on students,” Macias Jr. said.
What the community is saying
Parent Amanda Marion said she has a daughter with an Individualized Education Plan, or IEP, that requires counselor services and would like an increase in the number of counselors at JISD—not just keeping the ones already employed.
"Mental health is not a check box. For students with trauma histories, learning indifferences and behavioral needs, it is a lifeline ... I urge this board to take action now and vote to not only keep counselors [and] school social workers but to increase the positions for each, not just for my daughter, but for every child in this district who deserves access to the services they're legally entitled to," Marion said.
Next steps
The board is expected to approve its 2025-26 budget by June 26, Ryan said.
