Welcome to the home page of the Freetown-Lakeville School District.  As we now focus our attention to the month of September and we begin to gear up for the 2008/2009 school year, there will be several changes when students return in September due to significant budget constraints.

            Class sizes will be higher at the middle school and Freetown Elementary School due to the inability to hire additional staff.  For the first time, high school athletes will be charged a user fee to participate in sports.  Our computer lab and science lab at Freetown elementary school will also be closed, and art classes will not be offered after November 1st.  Our utility costs will be a challenge throughout the year with lower classroom temperatures.  Sweaters and sweatshirts will become mandatory attire.

            These budget constraints are not restricted to our school district.   Schools throughout the nation are faced with severe shortages.  As they say, “As the economy goes, so goes…”   The difficulty is that we know we can no longer provide a “free public education.”  Choices that are made should not be made on the backs of children.  We are all facing rising food and energy costs, and that “we” includes the schools.  Food costs in our lunch program have increased dramatically, and at the time we planned our school budget, heating oil was $2.80 a gallon.  (Ah, the good old days.)  We will be working with Energy Education, a federal organization, to lower our energy costs through conservation.

            The most important thing to remember is that the spirit of our staff is unwavering.  They continue to make it work and provide the education, caring and nurturing the children deserve.  We will open our doors in September with the greatest staff on earth. Our mission of educating students will carry on in beautiful, clean buildings.  Our FLAME continues to burn bright!

Stephen J. Furtado
Superintendent of Schools

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