ABOVE PHOTO: The school counseling master’s program aims to increase the number of school counselors in Wisconsin / UW-Stout
School counselors provide a variety of services for students in the prekindergarten to grade 12 setting, supporting both students’ mental health and academic achievement.
However, ongoing challenges across the nation to recruit, hire and retain qualified school counselors have caused a massive shortage, particularly in rural schools, impacting students, their families and communities.
University of Wisconsin-Stout’s M.S. in school counseling program “aims to increase the number of school counselors in Wisconsin, which will increase student achievement and create stronger communities,” said Assistant Professor Riley Drake, who, with Assistant Professor Molly Welch Deal, researched the shortage of school counselors in rural Wisconsin areas and how it is affecting children’s access to mental health care.
Through a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Federal School Based Mental Health Professionals grant, the program is shifting from on-campus to 100% online beginning in fall 2025 to make it more accessible and meet the needs of prospective graduate students.
“We know there’s a high demand for school counselors in rural areas and educators who would love to get a license but can’t make the trip to campus for classes,” Drake said. “The online degree program will help them achieve their career goals.”
According to the National Education Association, U.S. schools are facing a shortage of approximately 300,000 educators and staff. In Wisconsin, 30% of the population lives in rural areas, where the shortage is pronounced.
At the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year, there were 56 school counseling vacancies across the state. Wisconsin is projected to need to fill 1,500 school counseling positions within the next five years, Drake said.
