Dear Editor,

The Freestone County Times ran a story by Nicole Schaefer about the Fairfield ISD making plans for federal funds. The story ran Aug 9, 2024, about 5 months ago.

Each year, Fairfield ISD applies for grants commonly referred to as Title funds. The school held a public meeting to receive feedback from the public about the intended use of this grant funding. Key objectives determined in this grant process were improving instruction, learning support, teacher professional development, Instructional Coaches, Dyslexia Teachers, Interventionist and related software, support staff, progress monitoring, teacher retention, supporting leadership development, and parent/family engagement.

Perhaps a teacher or administrator could inform us about how many of these goals have been made possible in the past due to this federal funding, or if it was all wasted effort and money. This information would be helpful to know, because schools are funded by property taxes primarily, and if those goals of grant funding have merit in making Freestone County schools superior, and if those federal funds helped to train and retain superior teaching staff, we voters have a decision to make.

In 2025, the Trump Administration has signaled that the Education Department will be shuttered (for federal cost savings), and states will be on their own for funding.

This will go one of three ways for Freestone County (and every other school district in America). One: The above stated goals need not be fulfilled; our schools will simply do without. Two: The goals above (such as teacher retention) are worthy, but can be accomplished by taking funding from other school functions unrelated to learning, like the football program or maybe the marching band. Or, Three, the county can vote to increase its property taxes to make up the difference of lost federal funds.

Our county voted overwhelmingly for Trump, so this is really a small part of the result we should have expected: A diminished education system, or higher local taxes. Will this Make America Great Again? The voters will have to contemplate this question, as they go to vote up or down on a new school bond, or as they lower expectations for their children.

Jeff Harrison
Buffalo, Texas