Save The Franklin Librarian
We received an email from an 11th Grader at Franklin County Technical School in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, alerting saying that due to a "spike" in the cost of health insurance, the school will be cutting six positions, "and one of them is our only librarian". The student said that the board vote is only a week away, on March 11th, 2026. "[Our librarian] is likely lost. Our school will likely be without a library for the 2026-2027 school year."
The student went on to say something powerful and important, "I’m not okay with that. Our school has students from dozens of towns, and many students don’t have a library within an accessible range. I’m not sure how many students don’t have access to a library outside of school, but there is at least one, and that’s too many." We understand that bad budgets make for hard choices, but we want to stand with the students at Franklin County Tech and ask the board to find another way to balance the budget besides cutting key staff.
We know from working with hundreds of schools in crisis over the last 13 years that the school library is unique. "Besides being a place to grab a book, the library has served as a place to go after school, it is where multiple clubs meet... It's where I go every once in a while after school to get some work done. It's where my shop's home room is," our student added. We know how important one librarian is in a school. "Everyone knows our librarian. He stands by the door during passing periods and greets everyone. We always know he's going to wave and say hello. He often strikes up a conversation, asking us about what we are reading, or when we dress up for school events, like FFA or Career fairs."
Read the local news coverage about the cuts in the Athol Daily News: "Everything was a Perfect Storm".
We can't turn our backs on this request. The email ended with a very important statement - one that the adults in the community should pay attention to and act on: "I'm just a student. I don't have money or political power. But I know that what we're losing matters."
That is why we are asking residents, parents, and educational stakeholders to sign this petition today to ask the school board to rescind these firings and go back to the budget to find a way to balance the books. If you are a member of this community, your voice matters. Please add your signature to this petition. It will be delivered to the school board at their March 10th meeting.