HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. — While the idea of a typical or normal day might sound nice to some people, that’s not a day that Jessica Dreher or her team has.
In fact, she might laugh if you ask her what a typical day looks like for her.
“We might have a schedule for that day, or a to-do list for that day, but our student needs come first. So, if there is something that happens or that goes on, we might have to drop what we’re doing and travel to a school,” Dreher said.
Dreher is the director of student engagement and support services for the Orange County School District.
She stepped into the role after nine years as a school counselor.
Now, she spends her days in a variety of schools and offices, discussing ways to keep students engaged and working with support staff across the county to make sure everyone has what they need.
Their goal is to make sure students are successful, she says, and that goes beyond the academics.
The positions she oversees are school nurses, counselors and social workers.
Each, she says, plays a part in making sure students’ basic needs are met. By making sure a student is healthy, mentally and physically, they can help set them up for academic success.
“They all have three different focuses,” Dreher said. “There’s that medical piece. There’s that social and community piece. There’s also that mental health and wellness piece and that social emotional piece.”
Orange County has at least one of those positions filled in every school.
As a state, however, North Carolina is behind on the recommended ratios.
A North Carolina Department of Public Instruction report showed that as of 2022, North Carolina’s public schools had a ratio of one counselor to every 361 students. The recommended ratio is 1 to 250.
The recommended ratio for nurses is one in every school. North Carolina had one nurse to every 833 students.
The most lacking is school social workers. The recommended ratio is one to every 250 students.
In 2022 North Carolina’s ratio was one social worker to every 1,033 students.
Dreher says falling behind on these ratios can have a negative impact on the school staff, families, students and employees themselves.
Dividing days between schools and hundreds of students can leave gaps.
“It’s hard because then depending on where the situation is, you might have to wait a couple of days until the social worker gets back or call someone else who might not be familiar with that student,” Dreher said.
It’s something state leaders have noticed and worked to fund. The sweet spot still hasn’t been hit yet, where those ratios are met.
In the past state budget, lawmakers increased budgeting to add additional 120 health personnel in schools and funded $350 million to nursing schools to help address the shortage.
When she visits schools and speaks to staff, Dreher sees the impact these personnel have. From the students to their families, the goal is to make sure every student is cared for and given the attention they need.
“We can’t always say he’s bad or he does, he’s acting out. He is acting out. But let’s find out why, because we might be able to turn that around.”