School decides against one-time grant to the library

Editor's note: An editing error in the original article resulted in the erroneous statement that the school board approved the one-time grant to the library when in fact the proposal actually failed. The Courier regrets the error, which has been corrected here.
By Anya Tikka
MILFORD — The Delaware Valley School Board declined to give the Pike County Public Library a one-time grant of $17,500.
The split 4-4 vote (with one member absent) resulted in an impasse. The district used to give the library $35,000 per year.
The issue had come up for debate several times after the library's executive director, Rose Chiocci, and board president, Kirk Mackey, asked for funding in their December presentation.
The one-time payment proposal “for the cooperative arrangement of student services rendered” received a "yes" vote from President Pam Lutfy, Vice-President Jack O’Leary, and members John Wroblewski and Jack Fisher.
Superintendent John Bell, who doesn’t vote, also supported the grant. The library's summer programs directly benefit students in the district, which is not open during summer hours anymore, he said.
There is currently a cooperative arrangement in which the library partly functions as the district’s library, the board members said.
Board member Dawn Bukaj voted no, suggesting help with the library card instead. She said the library applies for grants that directly benefit the school.
“The money would come from taxpayers to pay for school and put into something else," she said.
Member Chuck Pike explained why he voted no.
“I have an objection to donating money," he said. "I support a library tax, but I don’t support raising taxes when there’s no direct correlation to services. To me, there’s nothing concrete enough to say, 'This is why I'm giving the money.'”
Board member Brian Carso agreed.
"As much as I support the library, in our current circumstances, it’s up to the county voters to support the library," said Carso. "The best way to do that is approve a county tax.”
He said there’s a long list of projects, like the science classroom, that require prudence.
“Philosophically, I have a hard time to extending this money to the library," he said.
Board member and finance chair Jack Fisher said, “This is the point — not to raise taxes.”
Member John Wroblewski agreed with the superintendent about the library in summer providing a valuable service. It’s the board’s obligation to have the library open for students, he said.
“So, I am in favor of this," Wroblewski said.
O’Leary enthusiastically supported the payment.
“So many households lack a computer, so many kids don’t do homework at night," O’Leary said. "How many kids do we see, when we hand them one of these things? Do they go to Wikipedia or Google? No, they go to play games. A computer in the library — I don’t see any games there.”
Lutfy noted that the library also serves special needs students.
Bell said he was sorry that municipalities apart from Dingman and Lehman townships don’t give money to the library.
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