Spotsylvania School Superintendent suggests closing all libraries in budget proposal

SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. — The Spotsylvania County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Taylor says the school budget is being 'attacked' from two sides with the possibility of less money coming from both the county and the commonwealth.

Monday night, Taylor proposed cuts to the budget that included laying off 60 teachers, eliminating other open positions, cuts to healthcare benefits, and the closing of school libraries and laying off all 63 school librarians.

Taylor outlined the possible cuts at a school board meeting where many showed up to say those cuts would go too far.

Taylor says the district is facing the potential of a more than $20 million budget shortfall, about 5% of its overall budget.

“I'm angry that this is even a consideration,” said school librarian Kim Allen.

Superintendent Taylor is new on the job and was hired without any education background and close ties to the then board chair.

“It is shocking to be in this moment where clearly we have a superintendent with an agenda and is using this moment...to put school libraries on the chopping block,” said librarian Nathan Sekinger.

“Who is going to be there to teach (students) the skills that they need to have to research material, cite materials, grow in their digital citizenship skills?” asked Allen.

Taylor argued other schools around the country have already made similar cuts to libraries and said what can be found in a school library is on a student’s smart phone.

Most of the board members, including some of Taylor’s past supporters, said they do not support cutting libraries. Some in attendance pointed to a Virginia law that requires schools to maintain libraries.

Before he was the superintendent, Taylor was the county supervisor when Spotsylvania cut school funding.

“I was part of that when I worked for the county,” Taylor conceded. “I don't work for the county any more. I'm trying to help this school division. So much has been trimmed away we are down to essentials.”

“All I've got to say is November is going to come pretty quickly,” parent Tamara Quick. “And, get rid of the libraries? They're going to have a lot of voters out there.”

The board has until May to approve a final budget.