Lansing School District plans to remove K-8 school librarians for '24-'25 school year

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with a recently-changed location for the Lansing School District's Board of Education meeting.

LANSING — The Lansing School District administration intends to eliminate certified, full-time librarians in its K-8 buildings before the start of the next school year.

In a newsletter dated May 22, Lansing Schools Education Association President Chuck Alberts said the administration announced in an earlier meeting with library staff "their intent to eliminate K-8 library positions and move them to create more art, music, PE time slots."

"Nothing contractually states that K-8 library must be offered so we do not have this to stand on," he said. "Any idea that LSEA agrees with this reorganization is false. However, we can only stand on what is allowed under school code, contract and labor law practices."

Superintendent Ben Shuldiner and Lansing School Board members have declined to comment on the issue, with Shuldiner calling it an "internal personnel matter."

But parents, students and library advocates have called for the district to retain its librarians.

Heidi Frei, a parent of two Lansing students, said she first learned of the plan when her daughter came home from school upset. Her daughter, Marisol, said Lewton Elementary's librarian would be leaving, and there was no library included in the preliminary blueprints for the upcoming redesign of Lewton.

"My daughter was told by staff that Lewton wouldn't have a library anymore, and instead have classroom pods of books," Frei said. "Having books around kids is great, having books in the classroom is great, but they do not replace a fully stocked library. And we love our librarian at Lewton."

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.

The district has about 12 librarians for over 10,000 students, according to the Center for Educational Performance and Information's 2022-23 school staffing data . Alberts said in his newsletter the administration plans to retain the three high school librarians, but it is currently unclear what roles the K-8 librarians will have this fall.

What happens to the librarians?

The State Journal has made multiple calls since late May to LSEA asking to speak to Alberts about the library plan. No calls were returned.

"We are tracking legislation that would address ratios (current 1 to 6,000) in Michigan and therefore retain positions in this department," Alberts said in the newsletter. "Additionally this redesign would require a change in the job description and assignment for the retained 9-12 librarians. This is a little more tricky for the administration to just implement."

Alberts underlined the following: "There is much work being done on this topic in the areas we have control over."

Lewton librarian Dustin McConnell wrote a letter to parents June 7 sharing he would not be returning in the same role in the fall.

"It has been an absolute pleasure teaching at Lewton this semester, and it is a great disappointment to me that I will not be returning to Lewton in the same capacity next year!" he said. "This is a district decision, and not a reflection of how I feel. ... While I am still awaiting information on my placement for next year, I hope that I cross paths with your students in the future!"

Bob Kolt, a district spokesperson said blueprints for the new Willow and Mt. Hope schools did include library spaces, but he could not say if those would be staffed with certified, full-time librarians. He said meetings with parents, students and teachers about Lewton's redesign were still ongoing, and no building plans were finalized.

Concerns growing among parents

Jekeia Murphy, a parent of two students and a former principal in the district, said she was concerned when she learned of plans to eliminate librarians.

"What student-centered approaches will be taken to ensure they have access to diverse, quality reading materials?" she said. "And who will be helping them choose a book appropriate for them?"

Murphy expressed frustration at the district's board of education and administration for not being as forthcoming with information to the community.

"We put (the Board of Education) there," she said. "We elected them. And if they're not willing to have dialogue with the community... We can't change what we don't know."

What sparked this decision?

In the Michigan School Index System Guide , 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.

Bob Wheaton, director of the Michigan Department of Education's Public and Governmental Affairs office, said the standard of one full-time librarian per 6,125 students and all other accountability targets in the index were determined by what would require improvements by the majority of schools.

In an email to the State Journal, Wheaton said, "[T]he School Index is meant to incentivize having certified librarians in Michigan schools – not to disincentivize having certified librarians. The Michigan Department of Education supports districts employing certified librarians to promote students reading when funding and librarian availability permit."

What do librarians do for a district?

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. Lansing was unique statewide for having 12.

Research shows librarians have a direct impact on students' ability to improve literacy scores. An article by Kappan , a magazine focusing on K-12 education, said studies conducted over the last several years show school libraries and librarians are also linked to other important indicators of student success, including graduation rates and mastery of academic standards, regardless of how wealthy the district is.

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.

The district's next Board of Education meeting is at 6p.m. Thursday, July 18, in the gymnasium at Eastern High School, 626 Marshall St.

Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com. Follow her on X @sarahmatwood

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing School District plans to remove K-8 school librarians for '24-'25 school year