By Staff Writer, Lissette Talledo

School counselors guide students by showing them their options for the future, whether it is entering a community college, a four-year university, or heading straight towards a career. In order for more counselors to be available, AB 1802 takes action.
This past June, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law AB 1802 which allocates $200 million, $67 per student, for more school counselors.
This has allowed the school to hire an additional counselor, Rena Scharch, lowering the student: counselor ratio 400:1.
 “I think it’s great that they have hired more counselors. They helped me out in my junior year and they’ll do the same for other students” said Remedios Pantoja (’07).
The counselors’ who are funded with this bill are to focus on students who are at risk of failing high school, not to say that they will not focus on students who are college-bound, as these students need counseling for what colleges are best suited for them and their career.
Counselor Rose Samore said that the law is set to connect with every student and not just those failing, but that it should be mandatory for “at risk” students. She says that there is both an upside and a downside to this new law.
“The upside is that the governor has good intentions by providing students someone to connect with. The downside is that it locks [us] up at our office with just one person for hours, instead of reaching out to more students,” Samore said.

This has allowed the school to hire an additional counselor, Rena Scharch, lowering the student: counselor ratio 400:1. “I think it’s great that they have hired more counselors. They helped me out in my junior year and they’ll do the same for other students” said Remedios Pantoja (’07).The counselors’ who are funded with this bill are to focus on students who are at risk of failing high school, not to say that they will not focus on students who are college-bound, as these students need counseling for what colleges are best suited for them and their career.Counselor Rose Samore said that the law is set to connect with every student and not just those failing, but that it should be mandatory for “at risk” students. She says that there is both an upside and a downside to this new law.“The upside is that the governor has good intentions by providing students someone to connect with. The downside is that it locks [us] up at our office with just one person for hours, instead of reaching out to more students,” Samore said.