LANSING — The Lansing School District Board of Education has made its position on librarians clear.
The board voted Thursday evening unanimously to approve a resolution expressing support for librarians and the role they play in education. The resolution also committed to having a library in every school building and to “continue to invest in literacy advancements, including supporting access to libraries and librarians.”
Ultimately, the outcome of a community concerns over whether the district will cut some librarian positions rests with the district’s administration, officials said Thursday.
The board also heard a presentation about the intended plan for librarians in the coming school year by Deputy Superintendent of Schools Jessica Benavides and her staff. The new plan retains all four certified, full-time K-8 librarians and will add 20 instructional assistants. District administration are expected to finalize the plan and intend to announce the staffing changes in the coming weeks, Benavides said.
This decision comes about two weeks after the State Journal reported the district planned to eliminate K-8 certified, full-time librarians. District officials had since May had refused to answer questions about the future of the librarians, with Superintendent Ben Shuldiner calling it an “internal personnel matter.”
K-8 librarians at stake
In a May 22 newsletter from Lansing Schools Education Association President Chuck Alberts to union members, he addressed a meeting that had taken place that week between librarians and administration that he also attended. According to his newsletter, the meeting was held because of the district’s “intent to eliminate K-8 library positions and move them to create more art, music, PE time slots.”
Parents, students and library advocates quickly pushed for the district to retain its librarians after the plan became public knowledge.
The district addressed public concerns for the first time in a July 25 email, about a week after the State Journal reported on the plan, to parents and students from Benavides.
“The new plan, which will be presented to the Board of Education on August 1st, includes: 3 high school certified librarians, 4 K-8 certified librarians, and 20 Instructional Assistants,” Benavides said in the email.
Benavides confirmed the conversations with the union took place, and apologized for the lack of communication from the district about the plan for the librarians.
“I apologize for the delay in sharing our plan or any miscommunication/unrest that has occurred during our planning process,” she said in the letter. “It is clear that our community values our libraries, and in response, I will be establishing a Library Community Committee this fall. This committee will provide a platform for ideas, input, and general discussions to ensure our libraries are inclusive, welcoming spaces where students can foster a love of reading.”
Staff in Benavides’ office recommended to Shuldiner and the district’s Board of Education removing two of the four certified, full-time K-8 librarian positions and hiring 34 library assistants during the July 18 board meeting.
Benavides cited the the Michigan School Index System Guide, in her presentation to the board Thursday evening. The Michigan Department of Education recommends having one full-time arts or gym teacher for every 124.6 students, and one full-time librarian for every 6,125 students.
Michigan lacks school librarians
Michigan is among the states with the lowest child literacy rates, and in 2022, about 6% of Michigan third graders were significantly behind in reading. Black third graders were more than four times as likely to be significantly behind grade level. State data indicate 38% of students in Lansing are Black.
In the 2023-24 school year, the district had seven certified, full-time librarians, according to district data.
Most public school districts in Michigan do not have a certified, full-time librarian. The Center for Educational Performance & Information’s 2022-23 staffing data shows that in the Ingham Intermediate School District, only East Lansing, Haslett, Holt, Lansing, Mason and Okemos had at least one certified, full-time librarian.
The Michigan Senate is considering bills that would increase the number of librarians within schools. Michigan is currently ranked 47th in the nation for ratios of certified librarians to students, and the package of bills would require a library in every school building and a certified school librarian staffing it.
The bills would require one half-time certified school librarian for a school with fewer than 300 students, one for a school with between 300 and 1,499 students, and two for schools with 1,500 or more students.
Two board members, Nino Rodríguez and Deyanira Nevárez Martínez, were absent.
Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com. Follow her on X @sarahmatwood.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing Board of Education approves resolution supporting school librarians
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