The Freeport School District experienced its first wave of budget cuts across all schools in the area this year, following years of important but costly maintenance projects.
Every department across the district saw between 20%-40% of its budget cut due to the passage of a federal bill, the depletion of COVID-19 relief funds, and the hiring of a new superintendent of finance.
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Finance Dr. Jeremy Dotson attributes the depletion of the school’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER), which the federal government distributed to schools to help them respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
FSD145 received more than $40 million over three years, Dotson estimated.
Some of these ESSER funds were used to install and improve HVAC systems in building around the districts to help with air quality, or went to other construction projects like replacing the turf on the football field and renovating the science labs at the high school, according to Dotson.
“Once you make those one time investments, say you buy a car, say you buy a home, someone has to maintain it,” Dotson said. “Their roof is gonna need to be repaired. The doors are gonna come off. The air conditioning unit is gonna needs maintenance. Once it happens, someone is going to have to spend money to do that. If ESSER is gone, local dollars are going to have to pay for that.”
Kelly Everding, the President of the Freeport Educators Association, recently toured Dotson, around the high school to show him what part he has in impacting students with district budget cuts.
“Students have more voice than they think and that I encourage students to attend school board meetings and make public comments whenever they think that necessary,” said Everding.
The FHS Art Department is one area that was impacted by these budget cuts. This includes possible curriculum changes to meet what the school can afford for all of the different supplies and materials needed.
“If we can’t afford to do it, I am going to change the curriculum to meet the lack of supplies we will have,” Danielle Setterstrom, Art Department Head, said.
However, Sarah Hasken, the principal of FHS, wishes to protect hands-on programs that require more materials, like arts and science.
“It is what it is,” said Hasken, “It is not the first time this has happened, and it unfortunately happens quite often in the education setting.”
Hasken hopes this year will be used as a saving year for better financial years to come for the FSD145 School District.
