Put School Counselors Where They’re Needed Act

Put School Counselors Where They’re Needed Act would add a new demonstration program to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) designed to reduce high school dropout rates by expanding access to school counselors in troubled Title I high schools. The bill creates a Subpart 4 under Part D that would award competitive 4-year grants to secondary schools with a four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) of 60% or lower. Grants can fund additional counselors and related resources (professional development, home-visit travel, materials, etc.). The program envisions adding one counselor per 250 at-risk students and requires counseling to focus on students at risk of not graduating on time, starting before ninth grade when possible, with ongoing support after the cohort graduation date if needed. Grants may be renewed for up to two additional periods if the school demonstrates adequate improvement (a 10% increase in ACGR over the grant period), though the federal portion declines in later periods and non-federal funds must increase correspondingly. The program would pilot in at least 10 schools (the first five from different states), with $5 million appropriated annually from 2026–2029.