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Parents, librarians and students urge Long Beach Unified to reverse proposed library staff cuts
Summary
Parents, students and library staff told the Long Beach Unified School District board that proposed reductions — including a plan to cut certified librarians from 37 to 20 and media assistants from 20 to five — would deepen inequities and harm reading and student supports; speakers asked the board to prioritize student-facing services over administrative costs.
At a packed board meeting, parents, students and school library staff urged the Long Beach Unified School District to reconsider proposed cuts that would sharply reduce library staffing across the district.
"No es...equitable que unas escuelas visiten la escuela 18 veces al año y otras solamente seis," said María Deo, a district library assistant with nearly eight years of service, arguing that an itinerant schedule makes it impossible to deliver equitable library instruction. Several speakers said the district’s plan would reduce certified librarians from 37 positions to 20 — a 43% reduction — and cut media assistant roles from 20 to five, a 75% reduction.
The public comments tied staffing choices to broader budget decisions. Jamie Balianos, an educator with 27 years of experience, said central‑office staffing grew while student enrollment fell, and urged the district to align cuts with student needs: "Si está bajando las matriculaciones, ¿por qué estamos más grandes en nuestra estructura administrativa?" she asked.
Parents and students described concrete consequences. Karen Walsinger, a librarian at Poly High School, said her library records between 450 and more than 500 student visits and warned she could not maintain the collection or the instructional program without full‑time staffing. Linda Guzmán, a parent and volunteer, told the board she had experienced delayed responses from central administrators when reporting a bullying incident and urged faster, accountable communications.
Speakers pressed the board for clearer comparisons of administrative versus school‑site staff costs and asked whether layoffs could be reduced by limiting central‑office growth. Several asked the board to identify specific, non‑student‑facing positions that could be cut instead of classroom and library services.
Board members and staff said the district faces a multi‑year deficit and is working on a fiscal stabilization plan; staff noted some funds are restricted and one‑time investments were made with long‑term goals in mind. The board did not take any immediate action to reverse the proposed staffing changes during the meeting.
The district is scheduled to return to the budget timeline in May and adopt a final budget in June; public speakers said they will continue pressing for explicit alternatives that protect library services.
