2007-08 School Counseling Program Grant Recipients Named

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) grant recipients for the 2007-2008 school year. For a complete list of the awardees, go to: http://www.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/fy2007awards.html.

For the 2007-2008 school year, ED is awarding $11.4 million in new ESSCP grant funding to 35 school districts in 21 states to improve elementary school counseling programs. Due to the program's statutory funding trigger, secondary schools (i.e., middle through high school) cannot benefit from the program unless total funding exceeds $40 million, with that base amount reserved for elementary schools. In addition, ED continues to fund the 62 school districts that were awarded grants in 2005 and 2006.

The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program is the only federal program that helps school districts hire more school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and appropriately trained psychologists or psychiatrists. Although the program is small, it plays a critical and fundamental role in expanding students' access to necessary counseling services.

Funding for next year?s ESSCP (FY 2008) remains uncertain at this point.? As mentioned in prior GR alerts, the recently passed Senate education appropriations bill would fund the ESSCP at $40 million for next year; the House education spending bill proposes funding it at $61.5 million.?While both bills propose an increase in funding, only the House bill would allow funds to be used at the secondary level, by exceeding the trigger amount of $40 million.

ACA has been working diligently to gain as high an appropriation as possible for the ESSCP program.?This week, ACA President Marie Wakefield and ASCA President Carolyn Stone sent a joint letter to Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-PA).? The letter thanks them for increasing funding for the ESSCP in the Senate spending bill, but also urges them to work with their colleagues in the House to support the House-approved funding level of $61.5 million for the ESSCP in the final FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill. (See letter.)

Counselors are urged to take action by going to our Legislative Action Center: http://capwiz.com/counseling to send a message to your Senators and Representative to urge them to support the House-approved funding level of $61.5 million for ESSCP in the final Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008.? For more information, contact Chris Campbell at 800-347-6647, ext. 241, or by e-mail at: ccampbell@counseling.org.

For more information, contact Chris Campbell in ACA's Public Policy and Legislation office at 800-347-6647, ext. 241, or e-mail ccampbell@counseling.org.

For questions concerning the ESSCP, contact Loretta McDaniel at the U.S. Department of Education at (202) 260-2661. Also, visit ED's ESSCP web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html.