§ 33-1212 — SCHOOL COUNSELORS

(1) In recognition of the diverse and complicated demands upon students, their families and the public school system, the legislature finds that counseling offered at Idaho public schools should be flexible and responsive. For purposes of counselor services, a counselor shall be defined as an individual who meets the requirements of an approved program of graduate study in school guidance and counseling from a college or university approved by the Idaho state board of education and who meets the requirements of rules adopted by the board, or an individual licensed as provided by chapter 32, title 54, Idaho Code, as a certified social worker or otherwise licensed as a licensed professional counselor or licensed clinical professional counselor as provided by chapter 34, title 54, Idaho Code, and who meets the requirements of the state board of education.
(2) School counselors spend most of their time in direct service to and contact with students. School counselors’ duties are focused on the overall delivery of guidance, individual student planning and responsive services. A small amount of their time is devoted to indirect services called system support.
(3) The state board of education shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this section and shall specifically provide that certified social workers, licensed professional counselors, and licensed clinical professional counselors meet the requirement for school counselors. A local school district may request a waiver from the state board of education of the counselor/counseling requirements, provided that data is submitted to and annually approved by the state department of education to substantiate that the intent of the board’s rules in these areas is being met by an alternative program model.

Legislative History

[33-1212, added 1994, ch. 443, sec. 1, p. 1425; am. 1998, ch. 88, sec. 7, p. 303; am. 2015, ch. 314, sec. 2, p. 1230; am. 2022, ch. 108, sec. 1, p. 363.]