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4 years agoon
Fresno Unified School District’s staff of school psychologists will continue to grow with the addition of two positions in the 2021-22 school year, district officials said Wednesday night.
And, depending on the outcome of ongoing budget discussions, there could be more.
Related Story: Fresno Unified Lags Neighbor Districts in School Psychologist Hires
Board president Keshia Thomas
(GV Wire/Alexis DeSha)
The district is working this week to add the interns to its pool of job candidates, Paul Idsvoog, chief executive of the district’s human relations department, told the board.
“We are possibly looking at some overfill,” he said. “Obviously we’re entering into our budget discussions, so therefore if it deems to be a priority of the board as we move through those budget discussions to add more, obviously we can do that.”
Although it had not previously been a priority to expand the staff again next year, said deputy superintendent Ruthie Quinto, the district’s chief financial officer, “right now we’re going to open two positions and get that process moving, so that we can have them in the queue.”
Even with the new hires, Fresno Unified’s ratio of students to school psychologists continues to lag Clovis, Central and Sanger unified school districts. However, it is under the state average.
The National Association of School Psychologists recommends a ratio of 750 students per school psychologist, which a spokeswoman for the California Association of School Psychologists said is difficult to attain because of a shortage of job candidates.
Fresno’s student-psychologist ratio, based on its current enrollment, is now 951 and could drop to 927 next year.
Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email
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