Detroit Plans Libraries in 89 Schools With $8.7 Million

The Detroit Public Schools Community District is considering a plan to bring school libraries back to 89 schools, using $8.7 million in one-time funding to establish a school library system across the district. The proposal was presented by Superintendent Nikolai Vitti during a board study session, and it sits inside a larger set of upgrades for Detroit schools that the district expects to fund starting next year. If the board approves the plan in the coming months, the school libraries could be partially open by fall 2027.

The district expects to have around $258.5 million in funding that may be used for long-sought school upgrades. The library plan would cover the cost of up to 4,000 books per school, furniture, displays, initial staffing, and a new cataloging system. Staffing the school libraries for three periods a day would cost about $5 million annually after the initial setup. Those two figures frame the choice for the board on library funding: a one-time investment to build the system, followed by a recurring cost to keep it open during the school day.

Why Detroit schools lost school libraries

If adopted, the plan would reverse years of school library closures in the district tied to budget restraints and declining enrollment. Teachers in the district say many former library spaces are dormant or have been repurposed, leaving most students unable to access school libraries during the school day. Though many Detroit district schools have classroom school libraries, there were only two certified librarians in the district in 2020. The district also lacks a library cataloging system, which makes it hard to track books, share titles across schools, and build a collection that students can actually use.

Michigan was below the national average for public schools with library media centers in the 2020-21 school year, according to the most recently available data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Only 74.6 percent of Michigan public schools had library media centers, compared with 87.6 percent nationally. That gap matters for Detroit students, because a school library is not the same as a classroom shelf. A central school library gives students a wider range of books, a place to read and study during the day, and staff who can help them find material at the right level.

Many parents, educators, and community members have called on the district to restore libraries to improve literacy and reading proficiency. Michigan lawmakers have introduced bills to put libraries in nearly every Michigan public school, but none have passed, so the Detroit proposal would move ahead using district funds already expected to become available.

Board chair LaTrice McClendon said bringing school libraries back would be a significant step. The board has not yet voted but is expected to do so at its November or December meeting.

Staffing and funding for school libraries

In the short term, Vitti said at least all the schools would have school libraries that are open for certain periods of the day, and after school as well. The long-term plan would be to create a pathway for teachers to become certified school librarians, which would support literacy work in schools, with the certification process phased in over time. In the meantime, the district would need to negotiate with the teachers union to potentially allow academic interventionists to run the school libraries during part of their workday. That staffing question is likely to shape how quickly school libraries can open, and how many hours they can stay open once they do.

The library plan is part of a proposed package totaling $251 million, which includes air conditioning for 15 schools for $130.1 million, accessibility upgrades at 22 schools for $26 million, and $69.3 million to fill funding gaps for pool and athletic field projects.

Library funding will come from the $258.5 million that will become available from several sources, according to district administrators. Those sources include a projected unassigned general fund balance of $213.9 million, $16 million in interest earnings, $10.4 million in leftover contingency funds, and $18.2 million if the board drops plans for a closed school building and Vetal Elementary School. Vitti said the early learning centers are no longer needed because existing district buildings still have available pre-K seats, and the original plan was made before Governor Gretchen Whitmer fully funded pre-K. Under the proposal, the district would still retain $100 million in rainy day funds.

For students, the school library question comes down to access during the school day. A school library open for three periods a day, and after school, gives students time to borrow books and use a collection larger than any single classroom can hold.