School Library Journal - CA Schools May Divert Library Funds

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CA Schools May Divert Library Funds Kathy Ishizuka -- 2/23/2004 BreakingNews > News California schools may be saying hasta la vista to their library funds. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger recently proposed folding the state's $4.2 million School Library Fund into a general education budget to streamline education spending. Indeed, the new plan would give school districts greater spending flexibility over state money, but it would also give them the authority to divert school library money to purchase textbooks, says Jeff Frost, a lobbyist for the California School Library Association (CSLA). The proposal is a huge blow because it essentially reverses the 1998 Public School Library Act, which guarantees library funding for all of the state's K-12 schools. Overall, the governor plans to shift $2 billion earmarked for 22 education programs into one budget. Another concern is that districts might abandon their state-mandated school library plan, which calls for collaboration among librarians, teachers, and principals. "Without the money, they will only collaborate as they personally choose to collaborate," Frost adds. In response, CSLA is asking members to urge local legislators to maintain a separate School Library Fund and calling on media specialists to make an extra effort to address their principals and school board, says Executive Director Penny Kastanis.