At Natomas Unified School District, the school library has become a luxury that can't be afforded.
Library staff at eight elementary schools were laid off last week as district officials cordoned off their rooms with locks and chains, according to Sacramento Bee.
Flickr photo by bigteetoe
Natomas officials told the Bee the move could save up $1.5 million in salary and benefits. The district, which is grappling with a budget shortfall of $17.3 million, hopes to reopen the libraries when the budget improves, according to the Bee.
According to Heidi Van Zant, Natomas district spokeswoman:
"These kinds of cuts are a last resort. No one wants to close elementary school libraries, but our budget situation is so severe there was no choice."
The closed libraries mirror a larger trend of media centers falling from their once-valued perch in the education eco-system. Last month, Elk Grove Unified issued final layoff notices to about 57 library staffers. Folson Cordova Unified shuttered its libraries last summer but reopened them with reduced hours after extracting salary concessions from the teachers' union. Corona-Norco, Las Virgenes and Lompoc school districts have similarly laid off their school library personnel.
In March 2009, the Modesto school district cut its library staff just after it received a $509,000 grant for training and buying supplies. Now, only two librarians cover the district's four junior highs, and nine are split among 23 elementary campuses, according to the Modesto Bee.
The long-term impact of such decisions have yet to be realized.
But one wonders about the wisdom of eliminating librarians and walling off books, magazines and computers from growing young minds. Listen to this once unthinkable comment from Ramneek Kaur, a fourth grader at Natomas Unified's Bannon Creek Elementary.
We used to have dance and art. Now, no books. All that is left is PE."
Ironically, gym may be next on the school budget chopping block.
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