On May 22, 2018, the Plum Borough School District serving the Pittsburgh suburb of Plum, Pennsylvania, will vote on a preliminary budget that could eliminate 2 full-time certified school librarian positions for the 2018-19 school year. The high school and one elementary school library will lose their librarians. The remaining 3 school librarians cannot cover 5 libraries, and they may be pulled out of their libraries to cover classes. This action would likely force all of the libraries in our district to close.
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The proposal to cut libraries was made by Superintendent Hyland and Board President Schlauch as a way to potentially balance the district budget. However, this decision is not final. With your support, we can ensure that our students continue to have access to full-time librarians at Plum HS, Oblock JHS, Center ES, Holiday Park ES, and Pivik ES. The overall budget for PBSD is dire, and it will affect special education, afterschool, and other enrichment programs. But if PBSD is cutting essential programs, the libraries and our librarians matter more than ever.
Lack of access to a certified librarian will have a negative effect on our students' education. Study after study proves that student achievement is substantially higher for students who come from districts that have librarians and library programs. As the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association has said “A strong library program is a vital and basic component of a student’s educational experience. A 2012 study in Pennsylvania verified that full-time, certified librarians are associated with better PSSA Reading and Writing scores.” We want that for our students.
The school board and staff will try to say that the libraries won’t close. But we know from Commonwealth standards that in Pennsylvania school districts only certified librarians - like the 2 positions already slated to be cut - are required to: “Manage a school library program; [and] Be assigned as the school librarian”. Aides and paraprofessionals are important parts of running a program. A certified school librarian is essential for it to be a library. With over 4,100 students - and 1,200 at the high school alone - PBSD would make a wrong choice in shuttering the libraries.
Please use the form on this page to send an email to the Plum Borough School Board and Superintendent Hyland to let them know what you think. The next board meeting will be held on May 22, 2018, at 7pm in the Plum Borough Council Chambers.