Weeks after Austin ISD assured families and staff that librarian positions would be protected from budget cuts, the district informed employees one day before summer break that some schools will only have a librarian part-time, a reversal that sparked outrage from educators who accused district leaders of breaking their word.

Emails obtained and reviewed by Austin Current show principals were informed Wednesday that schools with fewer than 400 students that are not under state-mandated improvement plans will move from having a dedicated on-campus librarian to a model where one librarian is shared between two campuses. The announcement to librarians came Thursday — the last day of school — leaving some librarians uncertain about where they will be located next school year.

The move marks another deepening round of cuts as Austin ISD struggles to close a budget shortfall that could reach $181 million if no action is taken. Though the school board must approve a budget by the end of June, no formal proposal that details all of the cuts and budget-saving measures has yet been released. District leaders had previously said they were trying to keep reductions away from classrooms but Superintendent Matias Segura acknowledged earlier this year that balancing the budget without staffing cuts would be impossible because more than 80% of the district’s spending goes toward salaries.

District reverses position after earlier assurances

Earlier this month, Segura explicitly stated the district would not propose eliminating librarian or counseling positions. At the time, district leaders announced reductions would affect more than 200 positions, though it remains unclear what jobs would be cut and how many of those jobs are currently vacant.

“We knew cuts were coming and we knew it was going to be hard, but this is not being transparent, this is shady and this is disrespectful,” said one Austin ISD librarian whose role was identified for reduction as part of the move and who spoke on condition of anonymity over fear the district would fire her or make further cuts to librarians if she spoke on the record.

Austin ISD said in a statement that librarians at campuses without improvement plans and less than 400 students will share one librarian between two campuses as part of a new baseline standard of service. The district said the change will mean the loss of 10.5 full time librarian positions, but it is unclear if those positions are currently filled.

“Our libraries are vibrant hubs of learning, and we remain committed to fostering a lifelong love of reading in every student,” Austin ISD said in the statement Friday. “We anticipate that students will maintain a comparable level of access to library resources and activities to what they currently enjoy.”

Timing and uncertainty deepen frustration

One affected librarian said she was called into her principal’s office to learn her position would become part time. There, she was asked to sign a letter, reviewed by Austin Current, which states her position has been identified for reduction. She said her principal told her that her role would be part-time moving forward.

“I don’t know what I am going to do next year,” the librarian said, adding she hopes the school board will vote against this decision. “At this point, I think I am going to look for another part-time job outside of education for the time being.”

The librarian said she loves her job and is willing to continue working part time while taking a second job to make ends meet, but is concerned about the future of events, such as author visits and lunch time clubs which librarians often coordinate.

“The transfer deadline has passed,” the librarian said. “They told us we would not be cut for next year and they lied.”

Carolyn Foote, a retired librarian and volunteer who organized the community group Friends of AISD Library, said she was disheartened when she heard the news Thursday that left many librarians in a pinch to figure out next steps.

“It is so disruptive for the campus and staff to be making all these decisions when they don’t have any work days left,” Foote said.

Foote said librarians serve entire campuses through carefully coordinated schedules designed to support every classroom, something that becomes significantly harder when one person is split between two schools. She said campuses will need to determine who oversees library collections and student access when there is not a librarian on campus.

“The teaching keeps going even if you are not there,” Foote said.