School librarians speak out against WS/FCS position cuts amid financial crisis

Two years ago, Grace Campbell-Sheran, a library media coordinator, was named the district’s Instructional Support Person of the Year.

Now, she’s one of hundreds of staff members losing their jobs as the district cuts positions to avoid a deficit next year. 

At a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, she joined several speakers in urging the district to reconsider cuts to school librarians, specifically. She shared a story about a girl who tried to skip class at the library, but ended up developing a love of reading while she was there.

“Her grades improved because she came in ... to a space thinking she could get away, but we captured her, and she mattered, and I cried when she graduated," Campbell-Sheran said. 

Others highlighted lesser-known media coordinator responsibilities like running school news programs, coaching Battle of the Books teams, and managing thousands of dollars worth of laptops, books and other resources. 

Vikki Heaney said she used to be the media coordinator for Northwest Middle School. 

"Is it financially responsible to leave nearly half a million dollars worth of educational resources unmanaged? Because that's exactly what you're doing if you remove one school library media coordinator from a school," she said. "This is not an educational decision, it is a financial one, and the cost of eliminating this position will be far greater than the salary you're trying to save."

While the majority of public speakers at the meeting focused on media coordinators and school librarians, district officials say cuts were made across the board to a variety of roles. A full list of the number and type of positions reduced is not yet available.

Interim Superintendent Catty Moore said principals were given discretion about how to reduce positions at their schools, but that the district would be monitoring the impact of staffing changes to help identify budget priorities for next year.

She noted that she met with principals and assistant principals recently, and said she expected them to fight for those positions to be reinstated in the future.

Moore also gave updates on the district's financial crisis. Aside from the ongoing effort to make sure all local vendors are paid, Moore said the district's biggest issue will be figuring out how to repay $18 million it owes the state.

The state debt carries 1% interest — $180,000 per month. Moore said she’s no longer considering asking county commissioners for a loan to help repay it, though. Instead, she’s having conversations with legislators and state officials about the district’s options.

She added that the district learned it did not miss any federal withholding payments to the IRS, which was a previous concern, but some were late, and missing documentation. Moore says she's working to determine whether any fines are associated with that. 

Moore warned that the North Carolina State Auditor's Office will have a public report available about its investigation of the district's finances.

"I don't think it'll be a flattering report," Moore said. "And that is truth."

She did say, though, that the district's new budgeting system will provide safeguards to prevent future overspending.

The district may have also found a way to help pay down a portion of this year's debt. Moore said the county has between $7 and 10 million set aside for the district's capital projects. She's proposing the school board request the county pay the district that money, and allow it to be used to help with the deficit.