HB 59: Education; state funding for one school counselor for every 250 full-time equivalent students; provide

Georgia's school funding law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-182) currently sets aside state money in the school funding formula to pay for one school counselor for every 450 full-time equivalent students. House Bill 59 would lower that ratio so the state funds one counselor for every 250 students instead, nearly doubling the counselor staffing level the formula supports. The bill only changes the student-to-counselor ratio used to calculate program weights, the multipliers applied to the base per-student funding amount for programs like kindergarten, elementary grades, middle school, and alternative education. It leaves in place existing rules requiring counselors to spend most of their time directly counseling or advising students and parents. The change would take effect immediately once the Governor signs it or it becomes law without a signature.

• Lowers the state's funded school counselor ratio from one counselor per 450 full-time equivalent students to one counselor per 250 students.
• Applies the new ratio to the program weights covering kindergarten, elementary, middle school, and alternative education programs, among others.
• Leaves unchanged the existing rule that counselors must spend at least five of six program count segments counseling or advising students or parents.
• Takes effect as soon as the Governor signs the bill or it becomes law without a signature.

Georgia's K-12 public school students and parents, school counselors, local school districts that plan counselor staffing and budgets, and the state Department of Education and General Assembly, which set the per-student funding formula each budget cycle.

A lower funded ratio means the state formula would support hiring roughly twice as many counselors per student than current law, which could mean more counseling staff available for students in schools that rely on the state formula to set staffing, though districts still control actual hiring decisions.

• Section 1 revises subsection (c) of O.C.G.A. § 20-2-182 to change the counselor funding ratio from one per 450 students to one per 250 students.
• Section 1 keeps the requirement that program weights for English language learner programs, disability programs, gifted programs, and remedial education also earn school counselor funding.
• Section 1 keeps the state board's authority to require counselors to spend at least five of six time segments directly counseling or advising students or parents.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as the date the Governor signs the bill or it otherwise becomes law.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-01-17House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-01-16House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-15House Hopper (House)

• Lydia Glaize (D, HD-067)Primary sponsor
• Stacey Evans (D, HD-057)
• Carl Gilliard (D, HD-162)
• Miriam Paris (D, HD-142)
• Robert Dawson (D, HD-065)
• Karen Lupton (D, HD-083)

• school counselors
• education funding
• K-12 schools
• student mental health support