"Our mental health, our psychologists, our social workers,  
are often  the rst and only mental health support our kids have." 
- Ellen Kelty, Denver Public Schools

During the 2015-16 school year, public schools reported the
the number of mental health professionals nationwide. 

Nearly 85 percent of schools did not have enough 
counselors to meet national recommendations . 
Thousands of schools reported having zero 
counselors, psychologists or social workers that year. 

The National Association of
School Psychologists
recommends the following
ratios: 

250 
students per 

1 in 4 
1 in 5 

SCHOOLS AND

400
SCHOOL DISTRICTS

students per 

REPORTED ZERO COUNSELORS 
ON STAFF IN 2015-16

1 in 8 

SCHOOL

REPORTED
ZERO COUNSELORS,
DISTRICTS
PSYCHOLOGISTS OR SOCIAL
WORKERS ON STAFF IN 2015-16

500700
students per 

Source: U.S. Department of Education O ce of Civil Rights Division 2015-16
The U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Division released this data in April 2018.