Poster #141 - Access to School Support Staff in Rural Kentucky

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

School support staff, such as counselors, psychologists, and social workers, can be important for students’ educational success and well-being (Bell & Meyer, 2023; Mulhern, 2023; Reback, 2010). However, schools in rural areas may struggle to offer support services to students because of limited funding, small school sizes, and challenges recruiting staff (Bastian et al., 2019). For instance, schools in rural areas do not have the same economies of scale benefits as urban schools and it is well documented that rural schools struggle to attract and retain teachers (Kolbe et al., 2021; Biddle, & Azano, 2016; Goldhaber et al., 2020).

This paper examines changes in access to school support staff in Kentucky over time and how these changes relate to shifts in funding, school size, local education policies, and rurality. We start by documenting how access to support staff varies across the state and by the characteristics of schools and the students they serve. Then we examine changes over time and how this relates to changes in funding levels and sources. For instance, we look at the extent to which schools changed staffing levels in response to changes in the state funding formula, the injection of Covid relief funds, and in response to federal funds from the Rural Education Achievement Program.  

These results will help policymakers and educators understand where students have the greatest need for additional access to support staff. They will also shed light on the mechanisms that schools appear to use to fund these positions. This can be helpful for identifying ways for schools to expand access to these staff in the future.

Authors

• Jason Clark Lee, RAND Corporation
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Christine Mulhern, RAND Corporation
  Non-Presenting Co-Author

• Andrea Phillips, RAND Corporation
  Presenting Author