Water is a necessary component of human survival. Water, especially when fresh and clean, needs to be consumed at least once every few days. The Student Advisory Council (SAC), and  the school board helped to satisfy this need by purchasing and installing three new water fountains for the district. Two are located at the high school, and the third one is at the middle school. 

The fountains were first purchased back in November after the school board decided to support SAC and buy two more fountains than they had originally planned. However, the whole prospect of getting these fountains for Freedom was discussed by SAC for some time before they were able to make it happen. SAC used their own funds from vending machine sales to buy one of the fountains, and then the school board paid for the upstairs one and the fountain at the middle school using the regular school budget. 

“We had seen the fountains in use in other schools and thought they would be a nice addition here at Freedom,” high school principal William Deal said. 

Each of the three fountains are spread out amongst the two buildings. One of the two in the high school is outside the restrooms in the student center, and the other is installed in the second-floor elevator hallway. The last water fountain in the middle school sits just outside the gym. 

This investment is a big deal for students, as the fountains are not just ordinary drinking fountains. They allow users to easily fill a water bottle using a specific spot designed for it in the back, along with the normal faucet in the front, now specifically for drinking. Rather than being forced to angle a water bottle awkwardly towards the one and only faucet to fill it up, anyone using the new fountains simply has to place a bottle in the refill spot and tilt their head to drink the water. Being that the high school is the only non-air conditioned building in the school district, SAC felt that it might be beneficial for students to have the ability to fill up their water bottles when it is warm inside, and then take them back to their classrooms. 

“The new fountains are great. Not only do they fill bottles a lot easier, but they are saving the environment in the process,” sophomore Olivia Evans said. 

Another new feature of the water fountains is a number on the back that keeps track of single-use bottles that are likely eliminated by people using the fountain to refill a bottle. 

“It is SAC’s hope that this will allow students to keep water with them and also eliminate the waste from disposable water bottles,” Deal said. 

As the heat begins to crank up again later this school year, students will begin to really make use of and appreciate the new water fountains. They will take a few sips of water to cool themselves off and then help out the environment as they easily fill up a water bottle of their own. This purchase is already benefiting students at Freedom, and will only continue to do so as the year progresses. 

There are currently no plans to replace other fountains through SAC funds.