School Board Rescinds Last of Counselor Pink Slips

Pink slips for two high school counselors were rescinded Tuesday, ensuring no change in the student-to-counselor ratio for in the 2011-12 school year, district officials said.

The Las Virgenes Unified Board of Education voted 4-0 to reinstate the jobs of Counselor Marianne Pall and Agoura High Counselor Bobbie Johnson.

Their layoffs were the last of the to four teachers and four counselors in May to be rescinded.

Community fundraising, donations from municipalities and other government grants raised more than $1 million to help combat a $3.8 million budget deficit to bring back those employees and rescind the reduction in force notices handed out to more than 40 teachers in March.

At recent school board meetings, several parents spoke to the importance of having adequate counseling staffing because of the role counselors play in the academic planning of students.

Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Dan Stepenosky said laying off four counselors could have raised the ratio of students to counselors at the high school level from 350:1 to 500:1.

He added with all counselors returning in the fall, district ratios will remain the same.

Calabasas High Principal C.J. Foss said she was delighted that the school board was able to rescind Pall's pink slip.

In addition to helping students plan their academic careers, Foss said counselors lend an ear to students.

"It's a critical time when kids are faced with adolescent issues," she said.

Agoura High Principal Larry Misel said having Johnson back on board would maintain the student-to-counselor ratio for the freshmen counseling program.

"It gives us the ability to retain that program," he said.

Helping transferring teachers decide where they want to teach next within Las Virgenes Unified is the next task for school district officials.

Those employees are to help fill the void of 11 educators who will not be returning in the fall, Stepenosky said.

Six elementary teachers are expected to be bumped up to the middle school level, increasing class sizes from 22 to 24 students for grades K-3, Stepenosky said.

We will bring you more on that story as it develops.