California School Libraries a Signature Away
from $158 million
After more than two decades of neglect, California school libraries may get a break if Gov. Pete Wilson signs a new state education budget that slates $158.5 million annually for library materials. "I can't tell you how momentous this is," said State Department of Education school library consultant Barbara Jeffus in the August 16 San Jose Mercury News.
The funding is intended to be an annual allotment and should enable substantial recovery. Wilson has been behind increased support, having proposed earlier this year that $230 million in state surplus be distributed to public school districts for school libraries and media centers.
Jeffus observed, "In the 80s, we just saw devastated collections. High schools with no periodical or newspaper subscriptions. The wiping out of whole book collections." She observed that the state, at one librarian per 3,193 students, has the worst staffing ratio in the country, where the national average is one librarian per 882 students.
Posted August 24, 1998.
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