CONEJO VALLEY : School Counselors OK 2-Year Contract

After a six-month standoff, school counselors and psychologists have negotiated a new two-year contract with the Conejo Valley Unified School District that sets a ratio of 700 students to one counselor.

School counselors wanted to lower ratios and gain job security during their negotiations with the school district, but ended up taking a pay cut and accepting one of the highest student-to-counselor ratios in the county.

“We’re not jumping up and down saying this is the best thing that has ever happened, but we are pleased,” said David Holmboe, a counselor at Los Cerritos Intermediate School and spokesman for about 30 counselors and psychologists.

Since their contract expired in June, the counselors have said they would be willing to take a pay cut and work longer hours if the district would guarantee that student-to-counselor ratios would not increase.

Although a 400-to-1 ratio was recommended under the expired contract, the true ratio was closer to 600-to-1, counselors said. The result, they said, was fewer opportunities for students to meet with their advisers.

Even though the ratio set under the new contract is considerably higher--an average of 700-to-1 and a guarantee that no one counselor will have more than 800 students under his or her charge--Holmboe said he considers it a victory since many districts only have guidelines, not limits.