Tucson Unified approves six-school pilot to restore certified librarians

The Tucson Unified School District governing board on Tuesday approved a pilot to place six certified school librarians at elementary schools identified as high-need, a move supporters say will expand equitable access to library services and strengthen reading instruction.

The pilot, funded from the district override, will place librarians in Lawrence, Morgan Maxwell, Safford, Deets (Deets K‑8), Kragan and Ericson (as recommended by district staff), with a formal recruitment and onboarding schedule this summer. Curriculum and assessment staff described librarians’ roles as instructional partners who will “promote schoolwide reading culture,” deliver information-literacy lessons and collaborate with teachers on curriculum and interventions.

Board members framed the pilot as a measured first step rather than a complete restoration. Finance staff told the board the six positions would cost roughly $368,000 from override funds this year and noted an additional $84,000 would be required from classroom site funds to provide the supplemental base pay that certified positions receive. District staff said the full build‑out to provide a certified librarian at every site would cost several million dollars annually and would require identifying sustainable funding sources.

Teachers, library staff and community advocates who spoke during public comment urged a faster, broader restoration. “This pilot program will bring that up to seven, which is a modest start, but a start I’m really excited for,” Rose Bratton, a library associate and cataloger, told the board. Speakers asked the district to preserve existing library assistants at each site, fund book purchases and ensure meaningful evaluation timelines (some urged multi‑year evaluation windows to judge impact).

District leaders stressed the work will be monitored and reported to the board. Assessment staff said the pilot sites were chosen from a district risk matrix using multiple indicators (free/reduced-price lunch share, English‑learner percentage, mobility and prior academic performance) and that the district would track four accountability metrics: academic achievement, school culture and staff collaboration, library engagement and program implementation. A midyear review is scheduled for January–February with a full annual report in the spring.

Superintendent Dr. Trujillo said the hire is intended to be instructional and collaborative: “These positions are going to be academically focused and in instructional roles placed in schools where a certified librarian can directly support reading engagement, research skills, information literacy, and teacher collaboration.”

Board members debated scale and funding. One motion to expand the plan to fund certified librarians across more schools did not pass; the board ultimately voted 5‑0 to approve the six‑site pilot. Supporters said demonstrating measurable gains from the pilot will be important for identifying future funding strategies.

Next steps: the board authorized the district to post the six positions and begin recruitment and onboarding in June and July, with librarians expected to begin integration in August and materials shipping planned in July. The district said it would return data to the board during the winter and spring reporting cycle to measure early impact and inform any future expansion.