Board will cut remaining librarian in school district
Parents, union reps lament move scheduled to take effect in Sept.
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer

FREEHOLD - The $1.5 million in additional state aid that the Freehold Borough K-8 School District will receive in the 2008-09 school year "will not go as far as you think."

These words were spoken by Board of Education President Jim Keelan during a March 3 meeting. Keelan defended the board's decision to cut the district's one remaining librarian, even as parents and teachers questioned that move.

The board has adopted a $19.6 million budget for the 2008-09 school year.

Keelan said, "We're still millions of dollars under what the state labels 'adequacy,' " which is a certain level of spending for education.

"We are still going to have shortages. Our health insurance benefits are up 16 percent and we are now liable for 100 percent of our pensions. This is what eats away at the money. (In 2007-08) we had an unbelievable year of cuts. We had to cut out music and art. You told us you wanted art and music back in and we agreed with you. We added back 11 positions (for 2008-09)," he told the audience.

Keelan said if additional state aid is received for the 2009-10 school year, as a state funding law says it should be, then the addition of a library media specialist will be at the top of the board's list for items to be returned to the budget.

Superintendent of Schools Elizabeth O'Connell said the budget reached the maximum 4 percent increase in the local tax levy that is allowed by state law. She said the 2008-09 budget would provide the district with a full-time art teacher and a full-time music teacher in each of the three schools - the Park Avenue Elementary School, the Freehold Learning Center elementary school and the Freehold Intermediate School.

This change will also provide a comprehensive instrumental music program, she said.

O'Connell said there is not enough money to restore everything at once.

"We restored the art and music you asked us for. We are trying to listen to you," she told the parents.

The superintendent said students will still have access to the school library and will still be able to check out books. A library aide will be available to help them. She said each grade at the elementary school level now has a collection of 300 books for their use. In addition, the students each have a 90-minute literacy block on a daily basis.

According to O'Connell, Joan Murphy, who currently works as the district's library media specialist, spends a half day at the Park Avenue Elementary School and a half day at the Freehold Learning Center. Murphy will take a teaching position in 2008-09. She will not lose her job, according to O'Connell.

The tentative budget was unanimously adopted by the board, but not before parents, teachers and community members had their say.

Linda McCarthy, the president of the Freehold Borough Education Association, said she thought she would see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"We could go into the year breathing a sigh of relief, hoping that positions previously cut would be restored. And you were able to do that in a lot of cases," Mc- Carthy said. "Last year you cut one of our two library specialists, leaving one remaining in our district. Now we will have no one in that role at all."

Calling the removal of the librarian "appalling," McCarthy said she hoped the board would reconsider its decision.

Former library media specialist Chris Giunta, who taught in the district for more than 30 years and retired last year, said she still cares about the students.

"I know what a certified school librarian

does and how they contribute to lifelong learning skills, but I

know caring is not enough

in education today,"

Giunta said. "Everything

must be justified by research

based evidence

and there is plenty of that

in the library literature."

She said her research

showed that when a school library is properly planned, student test scores could be 10 to 18 percent higher for those whose schools had better developed library programs than those who did not. Another study showed that the size of the library staff and book collection is a direct predictor of reading scores.

"Approximately 15 to 20 years ago the Freehold Learning Center did not have a certified librarian," Giunta said. "At the time it was a board member who fought long and hard to hire a professional for that school. The board member was Bunny Hammer. Bunny knew the benefits of having a certified librarian in each school. I urge you, particularly those on this board who know her, not to reverse what she struggled to obtain and not to invalidate what I did for 33 years."

Mark Hudzik, the vice president of the Freehold Borough Education Association, told the board members that the staff was asked last year to accept a budget that "slashed" 12 positions on the premise that when the district was in a better position those positions would be restored.

"We are in a better position now and you're telling us that you are going to cut a position that is vital and necessary to our core curriculum. Our students won't be able to compete with surrounding districts without a literary media specialist," he said.

Hudzik asked the board to make cuts in a way that "cause the least amount of harm to students and that would not harm the reputation of the school district."

Parent Linda Lichardi credits librarians for her son's love of reading.

"We talk so much about literacy in this district. To say this librarian is not important to this component, doesn't make sense," Lichardi said.

Parent Susan Greitz told the board members they are asking teachers to take on more every day.

"Where will they get the time to do the work of a media specialist too?" Greitz said.

Parent Kirsten Raymond said, "I'm not sure how the kids will interpret this decision. Will they think you're saying 'We don't care so much if you read?' Having a professional librarian shows them you are saying 'We care about your potential.' Look at this from their point of view."H

ammer, who is a retired media specialist, commented on the matter when asked to do so by the News Transcript. She said she thought the impending loss of the school district's media specialist was "deplorable."

Hammer, who presently serves as Freehold Borough's representative on the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education, said most administrators do not understand the value of a media specialist and all the things that person is capable of doing.

"Everything you do is based on reading," Hammer said. "This is a terrible loss for the district."