Date: Fri 04-Aug-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: AMYD

Quick Words:

school-librarians-media-xxx

Full Text:

Librarians Put Back Into The School Budget

B Y A MY D'O RIO

May budget cuts left elementary schools parents with the grim possibility that

the elementary schools would each have part-time instead of full-time

librarians.

Good news: that possibility no longer exists.

School officials say the elementary schools will each have a full-time

librarian, although staffing may be incomplete when school starts.

"As a parent, I am thrilled," said Louise Krosky, Middle Gate School's PTA

president. She said she did not expect to get the library media specialist

back so quickly.

"It was a stroke of luck," she said.

Perhaps it was.

School Superintendent John Reed said due to last minute resignations, a number

of part-time jobs being unneeded or unfilled and changes in the training

budget, the school system can hire librarians for Head O'Meadow and Middle

Gate schools.

Middle Gate is still interviewing for a library media specialist, and Dr Reed

said Head O'Meadow has offered the job to someone and is waiting for a

response.

Both schools' library media specialists retired this year. When the school

board needed to cut the budget in May, it decided to leave the two positions

unfilled to help balance the budget.

The schools planned to use aides to make up for the loss in staff. Parents

complained, however, that aides would be poor substitutes. They told the

school board that the library media specialists do more than just read books

to children. They said the librarians are technology experts, the hub

curriculum integration and teach children research skills.

The freeze on the two positions saves the district $55,987. Dr Reed said in

order to fill them, he had to find the same savings elsewhere.

Two veteran teachers retired, which produced a savings because their

replacements get lower salaries, Dr Reed said.

A teacher slated to get $11,560 in Reading Recovery training left the

district. The training is no longer needed because the replacement teacher

already has it, Dr Reed said.

Also, a few minor part-time positions are going unfilled or are now unneeded.

For example, Dr Reed said the district planned to hire three elementary

teachers, but the schools only need two and one part-timer.