The collective goodwill of a community paid off—literally—to save a beloved school librarian’s position at Estrella Mountain Elementary School (EMES) in Goodyear, AZ, when a crowdfunding campaign secured funds to keep her on staff for a year. Lara Morris, who been a media specialist at EMES for three years, was facing the loss of her job after major state cuts to charter school funding were instituted for future school terms. Through the GoFundMe site, donations by parents, colleagues, and anonymous donors met the $20,000 target needed to secure Morris’ position for the next school year. The goal was reached within 25 days—and has now been exceeded, by $281—with the help of a few key last-minute helpers: a $5,000 donation from a local Massage Envy spa and $800 from an anonymous donor. Donations are still being accepted, according to the site. All the donations are being directed toward a library fund through the school’s Parent Teacher Organization. “I don't live in Estrella and I don't know this lady, but my hat's off to her!” wrote a donor named Connie Uribe, who gave $200. “I can't let a librarian lose her job!” wrote Leisa Stevens, who contributed $10. “I am ecstatic that I get another year with the students at Estrella Mountain Elementary,” said Morris. “I am also in awe of the power of community; it is amazing how families, friends, students, community members, and anonymous donors all pitched in to fund my contract.” The Liberty School District had been experiencing major budget cuts since the beginning of the recession. EMES has status as an International Baccalaureate School (IBS), and access to library resources is an integral part of curriculum. “The library at our school is set up in an open format,” says Michele Bove, EMES’ IBS program coordinator. “Teachers can send their students, [in small groups or individually], to the library for research on the computers or to find a book resource throughout the school day.” After hearing about GoFundMe from their school’s Spanish teacher, Bove immediately launched the campaign to save Morris’ position. “When we first did it, even [Morris] ‘No, we can’t do this.I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to be this charity case that people have to fund my job,’” Bove says. “But we as teachers decided, ‘We don’t want to be without you. We will do whatever it takes.’” Rodi Purcell, whose 13-year-old son Rob is currently a student at EMES, says that Morris is “so much more than a librarian. Losing her would be a devastating blow.” “She is...dedicated to educating all of the kids,” says Purcell. “Not just one specific class, or one specific subject, but the whole student body. She not only runs the library and all of the media, she reads to the kids, [and] she administrates the book fair and so many special programs.” “If you look at the numbers, AZ ranks somewhere around 48th [in the nation] in terms of expenditure per student,” Purcell adds. “Where is the money and why it is not being used for education?” EMES principal Sharon Marine points to Arizona governor Doug Ducey’s plan to use $24 million to move prisoners to private facilities and build new prisons, beginning next year. “He has decided to build more prisons for prisoners but that doesn’t make sense because he’s cutting back the education money,” Marine says. The best way to enact change, says Marine, is for the community to vote and to be aware of what is happening in their schools. “We have meetings all the time with parents, but until it really affects somebody, people don’t really get involved,” said Marine. “This time, it’s personal, and they know what they’re going to lose.”