Rising Enrollment, Ongoing Pandemic Highlight the Work of School Counselors
Written by Sydney Weber
Photo by Zehrah Ali
With a growing student population, a constant need for schedule changes, mental health crises, yearly registration, and hourly student appointments, the counselors at East Ridge High School certainly have a lot on their plates.
With a population of around 1,900 students, ERHS is one of the top 30 largest public schools in Minnesota. Six counselors are responsible for the student population: Elizabeth Janey, Melissa Muñoz, Jennifer Elsesser, Michelle Kimpton, Carolle Huttemier, and Ben Hagar. Counselor Melissa Muñoz states that each counselor is responsible for about 380 students.
“We make contact with students in a variety of ways,” states Carolle Huttemier. “We’re in classrooms for registration, we communicate via email, and we are available for in-person appointments.”
The online appointment system is a popular way for students to get in touch with their counselors, but students can also just walk into the counseling office if they urgently need to speak with a counselor.
“We have a model where every day there is a counselor that has their schedule open as much as possible for students who are having a difficult time and can’t wait for an appointment. So when that is your day, you help students with things they are dealing with right in the moment, or crisis-type situations,” says Muñoz.
“I think a lot more people are getting in touch with their counselors this year. I’ve noticed online classes have become really popular, and I’m guessing that has to do with our time online. A lot of kids are also switching classes and dropping courses. It can take a while to get in contact with your counselor, but I understand that they have so much stuff to deal with,” states junior Lily Van der Sman.
Northern Star Online provides most of the online courses available to East Ridge students, and while the number of students taking online classes may seem really high, enrollment rates have actually dropped with a return to in person school.
The number of students taking one or more online classes through Northern Star Online is currently 158, which is down from a total high of 608 students during the 2019-2020 school year. Put into context though, the current number of students in online classes is almost guaranteed to rise by the end of the school year, as more students may join online classes during the second and third trimesters.
Counselors are juggling many different responsibilities, including academic consultations with students, personal counseling, college and career planning, and mental health support.
“We spend as much time as we can talking to students face to face,” states Melissa Muñoz. “We also spend at least two hours a day responding to student and parent emails and calls.”
“As the department chair, I have to organize meetings and agendas, as well as attend other meetings. We work on registration, and credit recovery after each trimester as well,” states Huttemier, “Now that we are back in person, we are seeing more students than when we were virtual because it was harder for them to reach us online, or they were just burnt out.”
With a return to in-person school after distance learning, hybrid learning, and COVID, students have struggled to adapt to a new schedule and learning environment. Many also are feeling overwhelmed and stressed with school, as they seek support and conversation with their counselors.
“I think it’s definitely been a challenge,” states Van der Sman. “Coming back to school after being online for so long was just so jarring at first. I think by now a lot of people have adjusted again, but it’s still so different.”
“We have seen a lot of students struggling with anxiety and depression. We do our best to help those students not only cope but also to help them talk to their parents and find additional support outside of school,” Muñoz states.
“I think the most challenging thing is feeling like there are so many people who truly need our help, but there’s only six of us. There’s a desire to be there for everyone, but we don’t always have the time to be as proactive as we want to be,” says Munoz.
“We had a social worker who was the case manager for student 504 plans, but that position is not here anymore. Because of that, we have taken up the case management of 504s,” states Muñoz. 504 plans are school-developed plans for students with disabilities and they cover any condition that majorly limits daily activities. They provide accommodations for testing, changes to a student’s environment, with teacher flexibility and curriculum, and modifications to how a student learns in class, in order to remove learning barriers and discrimination.
“We had an additional counseling position added at the beginning of last year, so our overall caseload isn’t bigger than before COVID, but the load feels heavier. It’s not a burden for us, it's just what it is. The needs are there, and we are just trying to help students the best we can,” Muñoz says.
