Four high school students spoke at the school board budget hearing on Thursday, Jan. 15, to persuade the board not to cut one of the three library assistant positions at the high school, which was in the proposed budget plan for the 2026-27 school year.
Due to an increase in staff health benefits, rising personnel costs, loss of federal grants and several other factors, efforts to lower the operating budget for the 2027 fiscal year throughout the district have been under discussion at recent budget meetings.
In order to not cut any school programs, superintendent Dan Black previously suggested making staffing adjustments, including the reduction of hourly-staff.
During the following budget workshops, one of these adjustments the board discussed was to cut a library assistant position, however, at the budget hearing, seniors Gabriel Dantas, Benjamin Bristol, Alexis Thibodeau and Kelsey Sweet took turns explaining to the board why they were in opposition to this proposal.
During her speech, Sweet told the board that the library is “more than just a room filled with books.” She said it is also a “safe space” where students and teachers can get the support they need.
Sweet spoke about head librarian Michelle Wooding, who she said “works tirelessly” to make the library a “welcoming and effective place” for students and teachers.
“But she cannot do it alone,” she said. “Library assistants are essential to keep the library running smoothly.”
Sweet visits the library often, so she has seen the assistants do a variety of tasks like helping students find resources, helping out with the Maker Space, managing Securly passes and much more.
“[Library assistants] help maintain a calm, organized environment,” Sweet said. ”If even one of these positions is cut, the impact will be immediate and severe.”
Sweet explained that the additional resources the library has, like the Maker Space, 3D printer, recording studio and many more services, “would have to be drastically cut” if there aren’t enough people to manage it all.
“In the long run, this will directly affect student learning,” Sweet said. “Libraries teach critical thinking, research skills, digital literacy and encourage students to grow their reading skills and enjoyment.”
She explained that these are the skills that students “carry with them for a lifetime” and when the district cuts positions that support these goals, it “sends the message that these skills are no longer a priority.”
Sweet compares the importance of library assistants to that of assistant coaches. As a Division I district with over 30 athletic teams, Sweet asked the board to “think of how many students it would impact if we cut assistants and only left one head coach by themselves.”
“Cutting my academic coaches would be equivalent,” she said. “Cutting the library assistant position may save money in the short term, but it will cost our students far more in the long run.”
Sweet ended her testimony by asking the school board to consider the “real impacts” this decision would have on the Londonderry school community.
“Please protect this position, support Mrs. Wooding and the students that benefit from the library and show our students that education truly matters,” Sweet said.
Following the students’ speeches, Black responded by explaining how the budget process starts in October, and at that point, “we were having just a general look at the high school.”
The district put big investments into the high school, like funding for career-connected learning, the Adult Ed program and the opportunity for students to be able to go to CTE centers, according to Black.
“No one’s trying to make a value statement on the library, and everyone likes the library,” Black said. “We were trying to respond to lower enrollments, and kind of keep everything moving forward.”
School board chair Bob Slater said he has been working with Assistant Superintendent Jason Parent, in addition to the district’s curriculum coordinators, to plan some “reading ventures” coming up in February and moving on through the next year, to try to “get more students reading in a challenging way in.”
“By the testimony tonight of these students,” Slater said, “it sounds like it’s a well-needed position, especially where we’re trying to push our reading program here through the district in the next couple of years and get more kids reading books, so I’d hate to see that service not there in the library.”
Slater further explained that he wants to ensure that no personnel is cut if it is going to impact curriculum or student learning.
“I’d hate to see us losing positions and not servicing our kids,” Slater said at the budget hearing.
After listening to the students’ points of views, Slater said he would “entertain” the idea of putting the library assistant’s salary back into the budget. In agreement with Slater, board member Kevin Gray stated he would also “be in favor” of making this amendment to the budget.
“I concur,” Gray said. “I’ve been in the library a number of times and seen a lot of what they’re doing with technology, and I think that’s a very valuable thing to keep moving forward with.”
Ultimately, the school board members voted unanimously to amend the operating budget and restore the library assistant position. Following the vote, Slater told Amity Small, the school district’s business administrator, to increase the operating budget by $21,655, which would keep the library assistant position.
After putting the money back into the budget, there will be a re-vote to move the new budget to the deliberative session. According to Wooding, the decision to restore the library assistant position for next year was “everything.”
“It really renewed my faith in the system,” Wooding said, “because I saw the way everyone listened to [the students], and how it stuck.
Wooding said it was “incredible” that the four students agreed to speak up.
“They spoke from their hearts,” Wooding said, “and everyone who was in the cafeteria could tell that they were genuine.”
Near the end of the meeting, Slater opened the floor to regular public comment. Sweet approached the microphone once more to share her gratitude with the board.
“I just want to thank you,” Sweet said. “It speaks such volumes about your character that you were willing to listen to the students and what we had to say.”
Slater’s response: “That’s why we do what we do.”
“We take this job seriously for our students, and our staff, and this whole school district,” he said, “so whatever we can do, educationally, to make it the best school district in the state and give our students opportunities, [we will].”
Aden
Jan 27, 2026 at 10:09 pm
This is amazing thank you I love to see this