1. A program to provide school counselors in grades kindergarten through nine is established. Any public elementary school, middle school, junior high school, or combination of such schools, containing such grades which meet the criteria pursuant to this section shall be eligible for a state financial supplement to employ a school counselor. Eligibility criteria are: the school shall have a minimum enrollment of one hundred twenty-five pupils per school site, shall have a breakfast program, and shall serve at least forty percent of its lunches to pupils who are eligible for free or reduced price meals according to federal guidelines.

2. A school district which contains such eligible schools may apply to the department of elementary and secondary education for a state financial supplement to employ a school counselor in those schools named in the application and in no other schools of the district. The state financial supplement shall not exceed ten thousand dollars per school counselor. No more than one school counselor per school shall be supplemented by the state pursuant to this section, except that a district may apply for an additional school counselor if the enrollment at the school equals four hundred or more pupils. School counselors thus employed pursuant to this section shall at a minimum engage in direct counseling activities with the pupils of the school during a portion of the school day which represents that portion of the school counselor’s salary which is supplemented by the state pursuant to this section.

3. The state board of education shall promulgate rules and regulations for the implementation of this section. Such rules shall include identifying any qualifications for school counselors which may be in addition to those promulgated pursuant to section 168.021, establishing application procedures for school districts, determining a method of awarding state financial supplements in the event that the number of applications exceeds the amounts appropriated therefor, and establishing an amount of state financial supplement per school counselor based upon the salary schedule of the district.