In response to our letter in support of fellow Nova Scotia school library workers, we received the following email reply today from Ramona Jennex, Minister of Education:
“Dear Ms. Rose:
I am writing in response to your recent email correspondence concerning the announcement from the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board (the “Board’) regarding school libraries.
I appreciate you sharing your concern with me. All regional school boards are grappling with the challenges of enrolment decline and budget restraint; however, this government’s priority is to focus resources in the classroom, and we expect the Board to look at every other possible option outside of the classroom to find savings. The funding to this board is in line with enrolment which is dropping by 1.7 percent this year.
Parents and my government expect school boards to make decisions that put students first, to protect class sizes, and important services like libraries. We will continue to work with boards as they deal with these challenges. My government recently conducted a review of the Chignecto board’s budget process and has provided suggested options for the board’s consideration.
I appreciate you taking the time to provide me with the information contained in your email.”
