Patrick Henry Middle School lost its librarian years ago, as did many other L.A. schools, because they could not afford to keep a library open and employ their only school nurse. Now, Principal Jose R. Castelo hopes Gov. Jerry Brown's new education funding plan will let them have both.

Known as the the Local Control Funding Formula, the state's new funding system gives California schools $1 billion more this year, for a total of $7 billion, and allows schools more funding control and transparency on a local and district level. The LCFF is operating under a hyprid model of the Revenue Limit system and will financially assist school districts on a base amount of funding per student enrolled. The system is projected to give California schools a total of $17 billlion over the next eight years, especially as more funds become available as the state's economy recovers. LAUSD is expected to adopt an official budget before July 1 of every year.

The new, “simplified” system is also offering districts like L.A. Unified adjusted supplemental funding for students in specific grade levels and demographics. The idea behind these adjustments is to dismiss a “one size fits all” approach, and instead focus on specific district needs.

L.A. Unified temporarily paid for Patrick Henry to have a replacement aid (which is a lower classification for a librarian, and requires less pay), until the district gave the school an ultimatum last year.

“They asked us to pay for it ourselves,“ said Castelo. “We had to decide between a school nurse that aides to our diabetic students or a librarian - we chose the school nurse. Safety trumps everything at our campus.”

Like many other state school districts, extreme budget cuts shrunk L.A. Unified's special programs, elective classes and staff. Libraries have been especially affected since 2007. Nearly half of the 600 libraries across LAUSD elementary and middle schools are understaffed or closed completely, according to the L.A. Times.

“If the district gives us the flexibility, I would [say] most, if not all, administrators would like to see their libraries either open or have longer hours,” said Castelo.

L.A. Unified has a $205 million library book collection that is quickly disappearing due to the lack of librarians and library aids. Before 2008, most libraries were funded by the district. Today, only 80 of 500 primary centers and elementary campuses are paid for by LAUSD.

The Patrick Henry Middle School library is currently closed and only opens when teachers volunteer for after school tutoring.

“Of course we would love to have it open,” said Castelo.

SEE ALSO: New Funding Plan Means Big Changes For LAUSD.

Technology is another major factor that was addressed, since the new Common Core State Standards, which will be fully in place in all schools by next year, are requiring an online-only assessment.

“Schools need to develop their technological innovative structure so that they can administer the test to a thousand kids,” said Castelo. I would say yes to the library for sure and definitely to the technology if we’re given that flexibility”.

One new, and often controversial aspect of the LCFF is that certain California schools get more money. Schools like Patrick Henry, which has more "high-need students," meaning low-income students, foster youth and English learners, are slated to get additional funds and grants.

With more than half of L.A. Unified's students from high poverty schools verified as low-income, and a great number needing English language assistance, the ability to focus more money on English proficiency practices, libraries and after-school programs could make a great impact on underserved students, says Castelo. 

“If it works out like it’s supposed to, it’s going to be very positive. It used to be a cookie cutter system where every school got the same amount depending upon enrollment," he explained.

English Learners

Los Angeles Unified has more English learners than any other district -- about one-third of its 600,000 students, and having a shuttered library negatively impacts students who don't have resources to practice reading English at home.

“People have to understand there are different types of English learners,” he said. “You have your ESL students who are relatively new to the country, and need a lot of help. We have ESL classes for those kids; but you also have a hidden group: the long-term English learners.”

Long-term English learners are students that have may have no trouble speaking the English language, but are not up to their proper grade level in reading and writing. 

Castelo said that is where he believes the bulk of the support is going. As part of the English Learner Master Plan, these students have begun taking double-block English courses as substitutes for elective classes. But not having library access hinders their progress.

Castelo explained that these students need access to libraries for reading materials, but for a school that has so many subgroups in need of extra funds and attention, reopening the library is not set in stone.

“If you were to sit with every principal, I think they’d all tell you the same thing. We all want smaller class sizes, we all want more electives for [students],” he said. “We want to serve [their] needs better. The hope is that with the funds coming in, we can do all this, as well as meet the needs of the three groups that are outlined.”  

Unfortunately, Castelo anticipates the funds to be pretty restricted as the LCFF is unfolding and focusing on the plan they’ve set.

The English Learner Master Plan strategy reclassifys struggling students with more interventions during the day, and more direct instruction until they reach a "reclassified fluent English proficient" status. In other words, the policies and systems are primarily focused on direct teaching practices. 

"Ultimately, what it's going to boil down to is the test scores and student achievement. If the libraries aren't contributing to student achievement, then [the library] may not [open]," he said. 

He also explained that the Internet has made research assignments much more tolerable. Computer labs are readily available and make it possible to research the material they need, as opposed to outdated print material. 

“What we’re going to have to do as a school site is take direction from the district. The district is going to be held accountable," said Castelo. [These funds] have to be spent on the specific subgroups for those subgroups to achieve. That's the accountability set by the state."

According to LAUSD, the vision statement for this plan is to provide the proper education for every student so that they "will graduate college-prepared and work-force ready".

With the LCFF tailoring funding specifically to schools, neighborhoods, and districts, Castelo believes the new system will be beneficial.

"At this point, we don't have a library, the library is closed, but we are hoping with this [system] it will lead to something positive," he said. "[The funds] have to be spent with a purpose and it has to have results, so, I think it's good. it's definitely positive." 

The L.A Unified School District did not respond to multiple attempts to contact.

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