LANSING — The Lansing School District Board of Education stressed the importance of school libraries during Thursday's meeting yet also discussed a potential plan for how librarian positions could be reworked.
This was the district's first public response regarding concerns that full-time, K-8 librarians would be eliminated this school year .
The plan presented Thursday at Eastern High School by staff in the Office of Deputy Superintendent of Schools, recommended that the district remove two certified, full-time librarian positions, and then hire 34 "library assistants."
These assistants would be trained by the two remaining K-8 librarians and would allow the libraries to be open all day, including before and after school. The assistant positions would be full-time and come with the same benefits as any other position in the district.
The presenters did not explain why they were proposing the possible elimination of the two librarians and hiring of 34 library assistants. It isn't clear how quickly these assistant roles could be filled, if the proposed plan happens.
District officials emphasized the existing library spaces and those planned for the new buildings.
“I think that it is critically important that the public understand that all of our buildings have libraries. We have a physical space that is a library in our current buildings and new buildings.” Board President Rachel Willis said.
Superintendent Ben Shuldiner waived most of his opening remarks for the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Sarah Odneal and several other members of the Office of Deputy Superintendent of Schools to present their proposal regarding possible staffing changes.
The presentation was not a formal one to the board, Willis said. The board would have to approve a formal plan before the eliminations and hirings happened.
During public comment, parents, teachers and community members expressed frustration with the district over the possible dismissal of K-8 librarians.
Concerns have grown since May, when Lansing Schools Education Association President Chuck Alberts said in a newsletter to union members that the administration announced "their intent to eliminate K-8 library positions and move them to create more art, music, PE time slots."
On Thursday, over 15 speakers took to the mic with their concerns.
“The librarian has specific skills or has been trained to teach our kids how to do research," said parent Gaëlle Cassin-Ross after the meeting. "The librarian is not just someone checking out books, it's so much more."
Cassin-Ross, who is the mother of two children who attend Post Oak Academy, said she was worried an assistant who would need to be trained and didn't already have the skills, would be unfair to both them and the children.
"It's not just unfair to the person, who would be set up for failure, but also unfair to my kids who would be learning from someone not up to the task," she said. "I'm not saying the person could not learn the job, but there are already people who have learned the job, so why don't we just stick with them?"
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 that year.
Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com. Follow her on X @sarahmatwood .
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing school board responds to concerns there will be no K-8 librarians this year
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