The Palm Beach County School District said it saved $3.3 million by firing all of its media specialists, a move it says was necessary, in part, because of the 3.5% raise teachers got in May.
Superintendent Mike Burke had repeatedly warned that the district, facing a loss of state funding because of its declining enrollment, could not afford to give teachers more than it had offered in negotiations with the Palm Beach County Classroom Teachers Association: a 1.5% raise and 1.5% one-time bonus. After protracted negotiations, the Palm Beach County School Board ultimately decided the issue, siding with a an arbiter who had recommended a 3.5% raise.
Weeks later, the district announced that it was eliminating all 76 media clerk positions in a bid to
save money and produce a balanced budget, as is required by law. District officials said they would seek to help those who were losing their job, and they appear to have followed through on that promise.
What happened to the schools' media clerks?
"Forty-nine of these impacted employees have found other employment within the School District of Palm Beach County," a district spokesman said. "The District’s Re-employment Coordinator is currently working with 13 of those impacted employees to secure a new position. Some employees have decided to retire."
Media clerks help manage the day-to-day operations of school libraries, handling such tasks as checking books in and out, shelving books, processing electronic media collections and helping students and staff.
A retired teacher and school librarian, Amy Armbruster of Palm Beach Gardens, wrote to The Palm Beach Post to express her displeasure with the district's decision to fire its media clerks.
"Now there will be 76 libraries whose librarians will now be media clerks, and those schools, their students and teachers will lose valuable services," Armbruster wrote. "It's unbelievable to me how educated people do not see the value of libraries. I taught for 32 years in this district as a classroom teacher and a school librarian/media specialist. I saw first-hand how libraries and their staff directly impact student achievement, morale, and provide a safe place for all. I am beyond disappointed in this budget cutting choice, and I can only laugh about how little it must really be saving the district when I think about how underpaid those media clerks were."
Budget crisis still looms for children and families
Media clerks were generally paid salaries in the $25,000 to $35,000 range, though some made more than that.
School board members are expected to vote on the fiscal year 2027 budget at their next meeting on July 29.
The district had been in line to lose as much as $1 billion in property tax revenue if voters approve the expanded homestead property tax exemption that is on the ballot in November. State legislators, however, exempted school districts from that plan.
District officials breathed a sigh of relief, but passage of the referendum could still impact schools because it would reduce the property tax revenue of cities and counties that pay for services used by children and families.
"There is still a concern," Heather Frederick, the district's chief financial officer, said during a June 10 Budget Advisory Committee meeting. "The counties, the municipalities, the special (Community Health Improvement Plan) districts like the Children Services Council, the Health Care District, they provide services to the schools and supports for the schools. So, any impact that we see on the counties and municipalities could end up potentially having an impact on our school sites."
Wayne Washington is a journalist covering education and Riviera Beach development for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Schools report $3.3 million saved by cutting media clerks | Exclusive
