Two more Des Moines Public Schools libraries won't be staffed next year. Find out which ones

For the last three years, library associate Emily Smith has worked in the McCombs Middle School library, helping students connect with literature and maintaining the book collection.

Before she was hired for the position, Smith had never considered working as a librarian despite being an avid reader.

"It was really something that I completely fell in love with," Smith said. "I have such a passion for getting books to kids and literacy is so important.”

Earlier this month, Smith was among the three library associates and two tech media teachers who learned they had been classified as excess employees. Though the employees will not be laid off, they will likely be assigned to new positions for the 2024-25 school year.

The reassignment of Smith and Hoyt Middle School's library associate will bring to 12 the number of the district's 57 libraries that no longer have a dedicated staff member. Currently, the district has two certified librarians, 30 library associates and 16 technology/tech media educators.

The positions open at each school are decided by Des Moines schools’ personnel department, said Phil Roeder, Des Moines schools' spokesperson. Then it is up to the principals to “determine the positions their school requires based upon that allocation and their needs for the next school year’s enrollment."

Principals faced choice between teachers and librarians

The principals at McCombs and Hoyt made the decision to use the open positions to staff classrooms.

"Unfortunately, given our current budget for next year, we have had to make some tough decisions on staffing for the upcoming school year," McCombs Principal Jason Snow said in an interview. "At McCombs, we chose to prioritize providing high-quality classroom instruction for all of our students and to support our district's School Board goals, meaning we had to make some cuts to other positions."

More: Des Moines Public Schools students, staff show support for school coordinators after layoffs

Smith knows Snow had a difficult choice to make when deciding which positions to cut.

"Honestly, I'm just mad in general that my principal had to make a decision like that (and) mad that libraries are not more valued in our public schools," she said.

Officials aim to keep libraries accessible

Hoyt and McCombs officials are looking into how they can ensure students can use the library when needed.

"Students at Hoyt will continue to have access to library resources, even in the absence of assigned library staff," Principal Fairouz Bishara-Rantisi said in an interview. "We will implement various strategies, including self-checkout options, assistance from staff or volunteers, and classroom libraries. However, we are still refining these plans for Hoyt to ensure they align with the specific needs of the school community and district guidelines."

Two Des Moines school libraries already have systems in place that allow students to check out books on their own, Roeder said. Those libraries do have staff who are partially assigned to work there.

Lincoln High School is the only school without a dedicated library space, Roeder said.

"(This is) due to student enrollment and facility needs," he said, "the library was remodeled and now houses classroom spaces. In the case of Lincoln, but also any school to one degree or another, students have access to resources in a variety of different ways, from online materials to in-classroom library spaces."

Cuts reflect years of school underfunding, district says

While unrelated, the staffing changes come at a time when district officials are trying to cut at least $14 million ahead of the 2024-25 school year. At least $3 million of those cuts are expected to come from staff positions.

"However, this does reflect the pressure of public schools being underfunded for several years, resulting in difficult staffing decisions and changes to try and make the best use of limited resources," Roeder said.

As for Smith, she is resolved to the fact that her job will change next year but hopes school officials will find a way to make the libraries available to students.

"Not all of our students can access public libraries," Smith said. "So, there's really only the one place that they can go to get books. … It literally helps our students do better in classes whether they're reading fantasy or nonfiction."

Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @svhernandez or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Two Des Moines school libraries to lose staff, raising total to 12