What If the Schools Were Run Like the Library?

Imagine if Warren County handed its entire school budget to a private organization controlled by a self-appointed board with only one school board member allowed to participate in decisions. Imagine being told that questioning this arrangement was an “attack” on education. Sounds absurd, doesn’t it?  But this is exactly what is happening.  Our library is exclusively run by a nonprofit, which operates outside of the typical parameters of public funding.

The outcry would be immediate and justified: “Private control of public education funds? No elected oversight? No detailed public accounting? Unthinkable!” Parents would demand representation. Taxpayers would insist on transparency. The community would reject such an arrangement as undemocratic.

Yet when it comes to our library, some defend this exact system. They praise the service quality—just as they might praise a private school’s performance—while ignoring the fundamental problem of private control over public funds. Some suggest that questioning the current arrangement somehow threatens library services, just as the hypothetical private school might result in claims that public oversight threatens education.

The repeated controversy surrounding the County’s attempts to put in place legitimate oversight of library operations is tearing this community apart. Routine governance questions shouldn’t trigger aggressive media campaigns and accusations; we should be able to have professional dialogue focused on the real matters at hand.  It is clear that the time has come to realign library governance with public funding so we can put this matter to rest once and for all.

Do I think government oversight is perfect? Of course not! But government oversight is a requirement of being government funded. We wouldn’t accept a private organization controlling our public schools with minimal supervision, regardless of how well they performed. Why should we accept it for our library?

With public money must come public oversight. This means complete transparency in spending, proper procurement processes, and representation by board members who answer to the public. These aren’t radical demands—they’re basic principles of democratic governance.  Our public library should not be exclusively run by a nonprofit, which operates outside of the typical parameters of public funding.

Melanie Salins
Warren County

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