Alternative high school wants more counselor time

By all accounts, Randi Klein, the counselor who was hired parttime at Indian Hills High School, is doing a good job helping the students at the Calabasas alternative school.

But some parents feel their children are being short-changed, since Klein only spends eight hours a week counseling at the school. They were hoping for more time.

Denise Miller, the site council president at the school, spoke to board members recently about finding a way to have Klein at the school for 20 hours per week.

“She’s wonderful and the kids love her,” Miller said. Klein, she added, isn’t really a half-time counselor since she only spends onefifth of her time at the school.

“It’s really challenging, because the kids don’t have scheduled crises,” Miller said.

Miller suggested another counselor could be hired to facilitate the Choices program, a district-wide substance abuse program that Klein has overseen for many years.

“The confusion might be that the position is not just a counseling position,” said Jim Nielsen, director of secondary education.

Nielson said Klein’s title is “alternative education at-risk counselor.” The position calls for Klein to work 14 hours per week between Indian Hills as a counselor and with students at all the high schools through the Choices program.

“We got creative from a funding standpoint and were able to access other funds, including Title IV funds and Measure E,” Nielsen said, adding that Title IV funds are specified for “safe and drug free schools.”

Measure E was the $98 million parcel tax measure passed by voters in 2004 to fund programs that might have been cut due to California’s fiscal crisis.

“We’re feeling this void is very dangerous,” Miller said, but added the site council is exploring other funding options, including applying for a grant from the city of Calabasas to pay for additional counseling hours.