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Richland Two librarians push for per‑pupil book allocation after district ranks low in state survey
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Summary
District librarians told the board Richland Two spends about $4.44 per pupil on library books—below the South Carolina average— and asked trustees to add a per‑pupil allocation in the 2025–26 budget to restore consistent, equitable funding.
Librarians and media specialists from across Richland District Two urged trustees on March 25 to restore district funding for school library book collections and to adopt a per‑pupil allocation to ensure equitable, sustained purchasing.
Amy Whitfield, lead librarian at Blythewood High School and district representative for secondary libraries, told the board district libraries are underfunded and asked for a per‑pupil allocation so every student “can enjoy the benefits of a distinguished school library program.” Whitfield said research links strong library programs with higher student achievement.
District library leaders distributed a packet that included a South Carolina School Library Survey comparison. Jennifer Bartel Boykin, a school librarian at Mueller Road Middle School, summarized the survey figures: Richland Two’s average per‑pupil spending on books is $4.44; the South Carolina state average is $14.10; neighboring Richland One spends $32.03 per pupil; Fairfield County spends $37.89 per pupil. Whitfield said eight district libraries received no school or district funds for books in 2023–24 and that Richland Two ranked 56th out of 63 districts on per‑pupil funding.
Librarians also described operational workloads: Cindy Simons, a media specialist at Round Top Elementary, said district library collections total more than 350,000 volumes and that media specialists together recorded more than 300,000 physical checkouts between August and February. Speakers asked the board to fund collections equitably to support classroom instruction and student reading.
What the board heard and next steps Librarians asked the board to include a per‑pupil library book allocation in the 2025–26 budget to restore years of inconsistent funding and reduce reliance on principal discretionary budgets, grants and book fairs. Trustees did not vote on a library appropriation at the meeting; the remarks were recorded as budget input for staff to consider during budget development.
Ending: Librarians said sustained, predictable funding is essential to maintain and refresh collections that district staff say support literacy and instruction.
