Lansing schools reverse plan on librarian cuts

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Lansing School District will maintain a library staff of seven certified school librarians and 17 instructional assistants. Deputy Superintendent Jessica Benavides announced the plan Thursday in a statement to LSD staff and families.

This decision comes one week after a crowded school board meeting at which parents and community members shared their support for school librarians and expressed their concerns over a possible plan , at the time, to cut the number of certified district librarians.

Several district directors shared a plan during last week’s meeting that would have cut the number of certified librarians from seven to five in exchange for adding 34 assistants to their staff.

“After listening to the concerns expressed during the most recent board meeting, where families advocated for the reinstatement of all four of our current K-8 certified librarians, we have amended our plan,” Benavides said in the letter this Thursday.

“The new plan, which will be presented to the Board of Education on August 1st, includes: three high school librarians, four K-8 librarians, and 17 Instructional Assistants,” Benavides went on to say. “This structure will allow students across the district to benefit from interaction with a certified librarian and support from an Instructional Assistant to ensure continuous library services.”

Benavides also said in the letter that the district will increase access to art, music and physical education as according to the previous plan.

The Deputy Superintendent also said she was “saddened and shocked by the misinformation” suggesting there may be plans to dismantle current school libraries or construct new schools without libraries.

“All of our current schools have libraries,” Benavides said. “The new building at Mt. Hope includes a central school library. At Willow, following the campus model, we have 10 innovative libraries: 8 classroom libraries in our PreK-2 classrooms, a 775 square ft. library space in the 3-5 pod, and another in the 6-8 pod.”

Benavides also said in the letter that LSD currently employs the most librarians in the tri-county area and is among only 8% of Michigan schools with full-time, certified librarians on staff.

“Our goal was to maximize students’ time with art, music, PE, and library services while meeting state metrics to help release us from Partnership status and stay within the current budget,” Benavides said.

Several Lansing schools are currently considered Partnership schools, which means they score in the bottom 5% of Michigan public schools.

The email letter from Benavides is as follows:

Dear Lansing School District Staff and Families,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is Jessica Benavides, and I serve as the Deputy Superintendent of Schools. I have been with the Lansing School District for 26 years, previously working as a teacher and principal before assuming my current role. Today, I am writing to address the growing concerns regarding our school district’s libraries and librarians. My aim is to provide you with accurate information to ease your mind and ensure we start the school year on a positive note.

I recently celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary and was out of town for the last Board of Education meeting. However, my team presented crucial information about our libraries and librarians during that meeting. First and foremost, please know that the Lansing School District, along with our instructional team, administrators, teachers, and staff, are deeply committed to providing robust literacy instruction, resources, and opportunities. Over the past three years alone, we have invested more than $968,000 to support our libraries.

As to the closing or dismantling of school libraries, there has never been any plan to dismantle school libraries or to construct schools without libraries. I was saddened and shocked by the misinformation suggesting otherwise. All of our current schools have libraries. The new build at Mt. Hope includes a central school library. At Willow, following the campus model, we have 10 innovative libraries: 8 classroom libraries in our PreK-2 classrooms, a 775 square ft. library space in the 3-5 pod, and another in the 6-8 pod. These decisions were made through conversations with parents and staff.

The new Lewton school is still in the process of these conversations, and the decisions regarding its library space will be determined later this week by staff and parents.

Several of our schools have been identified as Partnership Schools, meaning they are in the bottom 5% of the state. As a previous School Improvement Director, I am familiar with the metrics used to identify Partnership Schools. One of these metrics is access to a certified teacher for Art, Music, PE, and Library. While reviewing the data and creating strategic plans with school principals, we realized that many of our schools were not meeting the required ratio of 1 teacher for every 124.6 students for Art, Music, and PE. However, we far exceeded the required ratio for librarians, which is 1 librarian for every 6,125 students.

To meet the state’s metrics, increase access to art, music, pe and library, and stay within our budget, my team knew we needed to make changes to current staffing and create a plan. I met with our current K-8 librarians to inform them of this situation and to ensure they had ample time to choose a new position in art, music, PE, or classroom teaching, as many of them hold certifications in multiple areas. This approach was intended to provide our librarians with early options rather than waiting until late summer when teaching positions might be more limited. I felt it was unfair to keep them in the dark until we had time in the summer to develop a comprehensive plan, so I chose to meet with the librarians prior to school ending so they had more options available to them.

Over the last month, we have worked diligently on a plan that would enhance students’ access to libraries by employing two K-8 librarians to manage the library collections, supported by Instructional Assistants who would facilitate student access to the library and book checkouts throughout the week. This plan would result in a reduction of two librarians. Currently, the Lansing School District employs the most librarians in the tri-county area and is among only 8% of schools in Michigan with full time certified librarians on staff. Our goal was to maximize students’ time with art, music, PE, and library services while meeting state metrics to help release us from Partnership status and stay within the current budget.

After listening to the concerns expressed during the most recent board meeting, where families advocated for the reinstatement of all four of our current K-8 certified librarians, we have amended our plan. We believe this revision is a win-win for everyone involved. The new plan, which will be presented to the Board of Education on August 1st, includes: three high school librarians, four K-8 librarians, and 17 Instructional Assistants. This structure will allow students across the district to benefit from interaction with a certified librarian and support from an Instructional Assistant to ensure continuous library services. Additionally, we will increase access to art, music, and PE as previously planned. The American Library Association has also offered to train our Instructional Assistants.

I apologize for the delay in sharing our plan and any unrest it may have caused. 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. More information about this committee will be shared in the coming weeks.

Please reach out to us with any questions you may have. I look forward to a wonderful school year and am blessed to be part of such a positive and involved community.”

Letter to district staff and families, July 25, 2024 from Jessica Benavides, Deputy Superintendent of Schools

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