Every year, as summer approaches, the Hastings community shows up at the Cochran Gym to cast their vote for or against the proposed school district budget.
On April 22, the Board of Education voted to adopt the 2025-2026 School Budget, which means the budget is officially approved to be voted on by the Hastings community at the polls in May. According to Hastings Happenings, the district’s newsletter, the budget “stays within the tax cap of 3.66% even though the budget-to-budget change was 4.73%, which required about $1.3 million in reductions.”
The budget focuses on continuing to fund current academic offerings for grades K-12 and to allow the same extracurricular activities, while also including additions that will enhance the school district, particularly Farragut Middle School.
For Hillside, the budget includes funds to increase art instruction while also continuing to fund all current programs and staff.
The 2025-2026 budget will have the most profound impact on Farragut Middle School. The district is currently implementing the FMS Action Plan, a three-year plan that aims to enhance the academic and social-emotional programs in the middle school. The budget will strengthen the middle school by providing funding for six sections of each core class in every grade, allowing FMS to hire nine new teachers, and bringing many new programs to the students including executive functioning and exploring equity classes.
The budget also includes funds to expand the high school science research course to make it a three-year program instead of the two-year program. It also funds a permanent testing center for students who have IEPs or 504 plans and need accommodations, or for any students who need to make up a test.
Although the budget included some new additions, when the first budget proposal was introduced to the district, members of the high school community were not content with how the budget would impact the future of the high school. Three high school teachers are retiring from the math, English, and social studies departments, and the initial proposed budget did not include funding to replace these retiring teachers. This would have resulted in increased class sizes and decreased course offerings, including cuts to electives and sections of Advanced Placement classes. High school staff and families were frustrated with the vast focus on improving the middle school, while cutting high school offerings would have a major impact on the future of the high school’s academics.
Many parents and teachers spoke up at the March 11, 2025 Board of Education meeting, voicing their concerns for the future of course offerings. One parent voiced her concern for the cuts to Advanced Placement classes sections, asking the board of education to “please prioritize core areas of study and academic rigor… these are essential not only for college admissions but also for continued growth and opportunity for challenge and inquiry for our children.” Another parent expressed worry about how children will figure out their passions if electives, some of the only classes that give students choice, are cut; “These [classes] are not just fillers, these are things that are vital to kids to figure out who they are, what they want to study in college, and the kind of people they want to be.”
In response to the advocacy by staff, families, and students, the Board of Education adopted a revised budget that includes funds to rehire the staff needed to maintain course offerings and class sizes at Hastings High School, while also maintaining an affordable budget for the community.
On May 20, 2025, the budget will be on the ballot for the community to either approve or deny. The budget vote is separate from the Capital Bond vote on June 17, 2025.
