A new report says Michigan has the lowest professional-to-student ratio of all states, and points to the particular staffing needs of rural schools.
In Michigan’s rural school districts, just one counselor or school psychologist serves an average of 571 students. It’s one finding in a report from the National Rural Education Association.
Director Allen Pratt says the issue may require more funding to improve adult-to-student ratios and serve kids better, especially in rural areas. He suggests local education agencies get creative to help fill the void.
“We have to do more to train our teachers, number one, but also train folks in our community, in our school, to do a job helping these students. Because, I mean, even if you had [a ratio of] 10-to-500, you still couldn’t get the whole job done. So, this is a community effort.”
The NREA report finds some strengths in the system as well. Students in rural districts are more likely to graduate from high school than their non-rural counterparts. Also, having smaller schools and close community ties also creates advantages for rural kids.
