SWARTZ MEDIA CENTER PROPOSED BUDGET 1

Swartz Media Center Proposed Budget

Karen Swartz

MEDT 6461: Administration of School Media Budget Project

University of West Georgia

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Swartz Media Center Proposed Budget

Mountain View High School has a student population of 2016, 38% white, 27% black,

21% Hispanic, 10% Asian and 4% Multiracial. About 35% of the students qualify for free or

reduced lunch, and 12% received Special Education services. The school is less than 10 years

old. The school’s improvement plan goal is to increase the number of students taking AP classes

and increasing college entrance test scores and scores on various assessments. The school’s

stated mission is “to pursue excellence in academic, knowledge, skills, and behavior for each

student, resulting in measured improvement against local, national, and world-class standards.”

In an interview, the current school librarian, Ms. B, said that they receive better than

average funding from the district, a “fantastic budget,” as she put it. All the costs of electronic

databases are paid for at the district level before funding is distributed, so that the cost for these

important research tools does not have to be taken into account at this time. Likewise, purchases

of equipment are handled via request to the principal and are not considered part of the library

budget but come out of the overall school budget. On the day I interviewed her, the library was

being used for testing, which is quite common. She told me that over 40 days of the school year

are given over to testing.

Ms. B has a media committee ​made up of teachers, admin, students and community

member. She submits her suggested books to the media committee for an overall YES or NO for

purchase. All book purchases must go through the media committee. Any funds collected from

copies or fines are rolled back into the library budget. She purchases between 600-800 books a

year. Despite the push to move toward electronic books, she finds that students still express a

preference for print books, and sometimes they even have an easier time with print reference
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than online. Because the Gwinnett County Schools have an agreement with the Gwinnett County

Public libraries, students are able to use their school IDs to get library cards and check out book

without late penalties. They can also make use of the growing collection of e-books available

through the public library’s online catalog, thereby increasing student access to e-books

exponentially.

Ms. B would like to set up a makerspace in the future and has talked with a number of

media specialists about ways to get started. For now she wants to begin with student requests for

access to activities that are relaxing and conducive to socializing, such as coloring books and

board games. This is a very high-pressure school academically, so fun and engaging activities

that still support the Gwinnett County Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) would be

appreciated.

For the purpose of this exercise, I am going to suggest a more structured investigation of

what teachers and students need and or want for a future makerspace to determine what would be

truly useful. Conversations and surveys can help collect information and determine level of

interest. ​I want to speak intensively with faculty and administration about how it could further

their goals and what they think would be needed to play a vital role in their curriculum. Should

we decide to start a makerspace or perhaps simply add a makertable or mobile cart, I’ve adjusted

the budget so that the money used this year for games and art could be used toward maker

activities in subsequent years.

The Swartz Media Center’s mission statement is “​to give students the tools to be critical

and creative thinkers, problem solvers, and lifelong readers and learners, in order for them to

become productive citizens in a global society.” To that end I want to provide quality books and
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magazines that inspire an interest in social issues as well as creative expression. Because this is

such a high-pressure school focused on standards, I want to provide an alternative environment

where students can relax and yet still encourage them to engage in problem solving and

challenging activities.

Periodicals

Subscriptions to the main book review magazines and professional library magazines are

necessary to keep the SLMS informed about new books and current media center practices.

Teaching magazines are necessary resources for teachers. A selection of science, news and other

magazines will help keep students informed of current events and issues as part of learning to be

global citizens, as well as supporting the AKS requirements on informational reading.

Books

Input from teachers, students and the media committee will drive the consideration and

purchase of new books. Attention will be given to creating a collection that includes own voices

titles, so that students will see themselves represented in the library collection. Print books will

fiction titles and graphic novels will appeal to teenagers and encourage exploration and reading,

supporting the AKS requirement for reading literary texts. A selection of quality nonfiction will

support the AKS requirements for information reading, and to support the testing requirements

for the Gateway Exam related to informational reading and writing.

E-books

Since many YA e-books are available through the public library, I will focus on

non-fiction, particularly reference books and directories that change frequently and can’t be

found through our databases, such as college guides. Individual guides to common literary texts
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are also very popular and I will continue to consult with the LA teachers about their current

reading lists. I also want to expand the offering of ebooks on topics students may not want to

broadcast they are reading, such as those related to mental health and addiction.

Equipment

This line item will cover the cost of replacing various components, such as headphones

and power cords. No large equipment purchases are planned at this time.

Software

Money is budgeted for updating current software licenses.

Board Games and Creative Activities

Games and activities are an inexpensive way for students to socialize, engage the mind,

and be creative. Many of them tie into the AKS requirements. Scrabble encourages vocabulary

growth; Yahtzee uses statistics and probability. Hand-held puzzles encourage visual learning,

spatial skills, and problem solving. Chess emphasizes strategy and decision making. Games also

support social-emotional learning, as students learn about decision-making, self-restraint and

social interactions. Games can help create a sense of community and camaraderie among

students, and they will also be available to teachers. Paper, markers, crayons,color pencils and

adult coloring books cost very little and are easily replaced. The offer a chance for students to

practice fine arts skills in a low-key way.. Using butcher paper to cover a couple of the work area

tables allow students and teachers to doodle and draw. Traditional Legos will provide a

transitional step into a potential future makerspace, and can also be used with lessons plans

provided by Lego that align with the curriculum. Snap circuits are an easy-to-set-up STEM toy

for all ages. Since I have not yet made a makerspace evaluation but value problem-solving
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learning tools that tie into our physics curriculum, snap circuits would be a fun option with a low

learning curve.

Administrative supplies and fees

Supplies for book repair and protection, posters promoting literacy, items for book

displays, storage for games and art supplies are necessary for the day-to-day functioning of the

library. This category will also include any fees for the automated checkout system and any

database or online program subscription fees not covered by the county.

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Swartz Media Center Proposed 3-Year Budget

2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 TOTAL

Books 3000 3000 3000 9000

ebooks 500 500 500 1500

Administrative supplies 100 100 100 300

Periodicals 500 500 500 1500

Equipment 150 150 150 450

Software 100 100 100 300

Commons Activities 650 650 650 1950

colored pencils
markers
coloring books
board/card games
Legos sets
butcher paper/dispenser
snap-circuits kit
potential makerspace expenditures
5000 5000 5000 15000