(Cheyenne, WY) – The Wyoming Behavioral Health Alliance (WYBHA), along with its members Wyoming Counseling Association (WCA) and the Wyoming School Counseling Association (WySCA) are deeply concerned by reports across the state that some Wyoming school districts are using recalibration changes as justification for reducing or eliminating school counselor positions. These actions directly contradict the intent of the Wyoming Legislature and language of SF0081, the 2026 recalibration bill passed this last legislative session.
SF0081 explicitly increased funding for school counselors across all educational bands. For the first time in Wyoming history, the Legislature specifically recognized the critical role of school counseling and funded positions adequately, including positions at the elementary level in addition to continued support across secondary levels. This was done by enforcing the national recommendation for school counselors to student ratio to 250:1 as well as increasing funds in the educational block grant. The bill reflects a clear legislative acknowledgment that student mental health, prevention services, academic planning, and social-emotional support are essential components of a complete and uniform public education system.
The purpose of recalibration funding is to ensure districts have the resources necessary to meet evidence-based staffing standards and provide appropriate student supports in order for students to achieve their best educational outcomes. The recalibration model did not establish school counselors as expendable positions, nor did it direct districts to reduce counseling services in schools that fall below 250 students. Assertions suggesting otherwise are inaccurate and misrepresent the intent of the Wyoming Legislature.
School counselors are uniquely trained mental health and educational professionals who provide Tier 1 prevention and intervention services to all students. Their role includes academic and career planning, attendance interventions, social-emotional skill development, systems- level student support, suicide prevention, and crisis response.
Throughout the legislative session, we advocated and provided extensive research demonstrating that comprehensive school counseling programs improve student attendance, academic achievement, graduation rates, school climate, and postsecondary readiness while reducing disciplinary concerns and barriers to learning. Many school counselors and mental health providers testified that when school counselor positions are reduced, these preventative services diminish, placing greater strain on already overwhelmed systems and reducing access to support for students before concerns escalate into crisis situations. The Legislature’s increased investment in school counselors through SF0081 reflects these realities and should be honored through faithful implementation at the district level.
It is also critical to recognize that school counselors, school social workers, and therapeutic counselors are distinct professions with different scopes of practice, educational preparation, and protected professional titles. These roles are not interchangeable and should not be treated as such in staffing or service delivery decisions. School counselors are trained and funded to provide comprehensive Tier 1 prevention, instruction, and systems-level support to all students, including social-emotional learning, academic and career development, crisis prevention, and schoolwide intervention programming. In contrast, social workers and therapeutic counselors typically provide intensive Tier 2 and Tier 3 support focused on targeted interventions, case management, therapy, behavioral health treatment, family systems support, and community resource coordination. Effective student support systems require all these professionals working collaboratively within their respective roles. Eliminating or misclassifying these positions undermines both the integrity of these professions and the continuum of mental health services students need to succeed.
WYBHA, WCA and WySCA strongly urge Wyoming school districts and educational leaders to implement SF0081 as intended and preserve school counseling positions across all grade levels. Student mental health and preventative support services cannot continue to be treated as optional under the guise of financial strain, when $126 million in additional funding was added to the funding model overall. Prevention is not a luxury. It is a fundamental component of student success and school safety.
We remain committed to advocating for evidence-based student mental health supports, ethical implementation of recalibration funding, and access to comprehensive school counseling services for every Wyoming student.
If you are a district employee, we would like to hear how school recalibration is going for you and your district. Please go to www.wybha.org to take our public survey on school recalibration.