Utah guidance counselors have some of the biggest student loads in the nation

Utah has one of the nation's highest ratios of students to school guidance counselors .

Why it matters: State officials have focused heavily on controversial social media restrictions as a remedy for youth mental health problems, while school counseling services remain under-resourced compared to other states.

By the numbers: Each guidance counselor in Utah serves nearly 500 students on average, according to the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) analysis of federal data.

• That's the sixth-highest of any state — and double the ASCA-suggested ratio of 250.
• That's even after Utah took steps in recent years to boost funding for in-school mental health services.

The intrigue: Some lawmakers here joined a multistate push to allow volunteer religious chaplains in public schools — purportedly to supplement guidance counselors.

• The bill failed in Utah after the Satanic Temple promised to supply volunteers to minister to students.

Zoom out: The American West and Midwest led the U.S. with the biggest student loads per counselor.

• Arizona had the most overloaded counselors, with a ratio of 667. Michigan and Minnesota rounded out the top three.

The big picture: Experts say the disparity of counselor access disproportionately hurts students of color seeking mental health help or advice in applying to college in a post-affirmative action era.

• Schools in the West and Midwest also have some of the highest rates of racial resegregation over the last 30 years.

Stunning stat: Nationally, there are an estimated 8 million students without access to a counselor, according to The Education Trust.

• Of those students, 1.7 million attend a school with police but no counselor on campus, suggesting a focus on policing over mental health or college preparedness.

What they're saying: "Having fewer school counselors prohibits students from being identified or being seen," Eric Sparks, ASCA deputy executive director, told Axios.

• "Unfortunately, when [the ratio] gets too high, it increases the likelihood that a student is going to fall through the cracks."

My thought bubble: Just this week my 11-year-old predicted that her guidance counselor's office would be overrun with crying children on the last day of school.

• Classmates will be split up next year amid Salt Lake's new district boundaries and school closures next year.

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